Columbus Lighthouse
 The Columbus Lighthouse | |
  Location in Dominican Republic | |
| Established | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Location | Santo Domingo Este Dominican Republic |
| Coordinates | 18°28′43″N 69°52′05″W / 18.47861°N 69.86816°W |
| Type | Mausoleum, Museum |
| Architect | Teófilo Carbonell J. L. Gleave |
Columbus Lighthouse (Spanish: Faro a Colón, meaning "Columbus Lighthouse") is a mausoleum monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus, located in Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic.
Construction began in 1986, based on plans drawn in 1931 by Scottish architect J.L. Gleave. The monument was inaugurated in 1992, in time for the 500th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage. It was funded by the Latin American states[1][2] at a total cost of approximately US$70 million.[3]
The monument's lighthouse-style features include projecting beams of light that form a cross shape. These beams are so powerful that they can be seen from neighboring Puerto Rico.[3]
Overview
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The Columbus Lighthouse is a cross-shaped monument made of reinforced concrete with dimensions of 680 feet (210 m) by 195 feet (59 m).[3] The cross is meant to represent the Christianization of the Americas. There are 157 beams of light that emanate from the structure towards the sky, as well as a rotating beam, which is visible from space.[citation needed]
According to Dominican authorities, the lighthouse shelters remains of Christopher Columbus. However, Spanish authorities have proven through DNA tests that the Cathedral of Seville contains Columbus's remains. Researchers note that this evidence does not exclude the possibility that some bones in Santo Domingo also belong to the explorer. The Dominican authorities have not allowed the same DNA tests to be performed on the remains in the lighthouse, making it impossible to confirm the presence of Columbus's remains. [4][5] The monument functions as both a mausoleum and a museum showcasing objects, including a boat from Cuba and Colombian jewelry.
Once a year, on Columbus Day, the remains are displayed in their crypt behind a sheet of glass.[6]
History
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Dominican historian Antonio Delmonte y Tejada expressed the idea of erecting a monument in honor of Columbus in Santo Domingo in his 1852 book, History of Santo Domingo.[7] In 1914, American Pulliam William Ellis began promoting a monumental beacon in the first city of the New World to the American press. The concept was accepted during the 1923 Fifth International Conference in Chile, which decreed that all governments and peoples of the Americas should cooperate to build the monument.
Scottish architect Joseph Lea Gleave won a competition that included 455 participants from 48 countries. The event was held in Brazil in 1931, with judges including architects Horacio Acosta y Lara (Uruguay), Eliel Saarinen (Finland), and Frank Lloyd Wright (USA).[8] However, by 1950, only eight countries had contributed, totaling less than $15,000. The Dominican government moved forward with the project, and the foundation was dug in 1948.[7] Growing political instability halted construction after 1948 until 1986. During the government of Joaquín Balaguer, construction resumed under the supervision of Dominican architect Teófilo Carbonell, culminating in its completion in 1992, in time for the celebration of the quincentennial discovery of the Americas.[9]
Though conceived by Gleave as a mausoleum, the monument was adapted to house a permanent collection of exhibitions from countries of the Americas, as well as other European and Asian countries, as requested by former President Balaguer. The exhibitions house items of cultural heritage from each country. Tony Horwitz wrote in 2008 that the United States's exhibition included a few small photographs of Independence Day celebrations, along with many poster-sized reproductions of newspaper front pages reporting on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Où est donc enterré Christophe Colomb ?" Archived 2020-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Cristobal-colon.net. Retrieved June 4, 2009
- ^ Le phare de Christophe Colomb Entre2voyages.com Retrieved June 4, 2009
- ^ a b c Jacobs, Karrie (April 2010), "World's Strangest Buildings", Travel + Leisure, retrieved 2010-04-25
- ^ Sood, Suemedha. "The mystery of Christopher Columbus's legacy". Retrieved 2018-09-19.
- ^ Killgrove, Kristina. "DNA Testing Of Skeleton May Prove Christopher Columbus Was Really Portuguese". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
- ^ Horwitz 2008, pp. 89–90, 92.
- ^ a b "Faro a Colon". Indiana.edu. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^ "Grupo León Jimenes | Biblioteca virtual | Historia para la construcción de la arquitectura dominicana". Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
- ^ "Columbus Lighthouse". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^ Horwitz 2008, p. 83.
Sources
[edit]- Horwitz, Tony (2008). A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World (illustrated ed.). New York: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 978-1-4299-3773-3.
External links
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18°28′43″N 69°52′05″W / 18.47861°N 69.86816°W
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- Museums in the Dominican Republic
- Buildings and structures completed in 1992
- Buildings and structures in Santo Domingo Province
- Architecture in the Dominican Republic
- Tourist attractions in Santo Domingo Province
- Tourism in the Dominican Republic
- Burial monuments and structures in the Dominican Republic
- Mausoleums in the Dominican Republic
- Monuments and memorials to Christopher Columbus