President Abinader inaugurates Santo Domingo Cathedral Museum

10-06-24

On June 6, President Luis Abinader inaugurated the renovated and modernized Santo Domingo Cathedral Museum, located in the Colonial City. This project aims to strengthen the tourist, cultural and religious offer of the historic center.

The restoration of the museum is one of the 28 projects included in the Integral Program for Tourism and Urban Development of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo (PIDTUCCSD).

President Abinader described the museum as a priceless treasure of the Colonial City, underlining its historical and cultural importance. "This museum is a real treasure and forms part of the great treasure that is the Colonial City. This heritage is worth more than a gold mine,” he said.

He stressed that the museum has significant historical and tourist value, representing Dominican culture from evangelization to immigration. Accompanied by First Lady Raquel Arbaje, Abinader reaffirmed his government's commitment to the conservation and promotion of museums in the Colonial City.

The president expressed his vision of turning the Colonial City into a thematic zone, highlighting the religious richness of the area. “We dream that this will be a thematic zone, that the 13 churches and two cathedrals that we have can be part of a special religious tourism tour,” he said.

Tourism Minister David Collado described the opening of the museum as the “jewel in the crown,” highlighting President Abinader's vision to turn the Colonial City into a themed, family-friendly destination.

Fabiola Herrera, the first director of the Cathedral Museum Volunteers, thanked President Abinader for his interest and willingness in the completion of the project. Amin Abel, coordinator of the PIDTUCCSD, highlighted the impact of the museum on the Dominican Republic's tourism competitiveness and on the preservation of the Colonial City as a World Heritage Site.

Monsignor Lorenzo Vargas, representing the Archbishop of Santo Domingo, affirmed that the museum will be a permanent memorial of God's love for the Dominican people and thanked the Government for its support.

The inauguration included the blessing of the event by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Monsignor Francisco Ozoria.

The renovation of the museum included the architectural readjustment, the curatorial work and the creation of museographic content with advanced technology. Twelve rooms were fitted out with interactive, didactic and immersive elements, and all the pieces were restored for exhibition.

The event was attended by various authorities and personalities, including the president of the Partido Revolucionario Moderno (PRM), José Ignacio Paliza; Brigadier General Minoru Matsunaga of Politur; the director of Patrimonio Monumental, Juan Mubarak; the director of Museums, Carlos Ándujar; and the Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See in the Dominican Republic, Piergiorgio Bertoldi, among others.