Tomorrow, September 3, marks the 75th anniversary of the most destructive hurricane to hit Santo Domingo, the nefarious San Zen?n. My father, who is in fairly good health and living in the southern coast of Spain, and a government official during President Trujillo's first term, told me that that Trujillo opened the National Palace to refugies, and that he saw people sleeping even under the table used for cabinet meetings. The city was totalled, and thousands of victims were cremated and burried in a mass grave under what is now Parque Eugenio Mar?a de Hostos (were Festival del Merengue es held, in front of the Obelisco). Trujillo's reconstruction effort was so far reaching that he was rewarded by popular acclamation by rebaptizing the city as Ciudad Trujillo, name it held until his untimely death in 1961.
- Thread starter Mirador
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San Zenon
Porfio_Rubirosa said:Which National Palace was that?
I understand it's the current Palacio Nacional, the same building that houses Presidente Leonel Fern?ndez office. I just checked through google and on my first hit came up with a mention of my dear aunt Guelita:
1941
El 28 de octubre, Francisca Ang?lica Romero Beltr? es la ?nica que se recibe con el titulo de ingeniera arquitecta, nueva menci?n acad?mica en la Universidad de Santo Domingo. Es la primera persona graduada, (de ambos sexos), en la profesi?n de arquitectura del pa?s. Su historia se pierde, seg?n se dice, en la selva de hierro de New York.
http://www.arquiteca.com/modules.php?name=Sections&op=printpage&artid=23
The current National Palace was not completed until 1947. I wonder to which building your father refers?
Porfio_Rubirosa said:The current National Palace was not completed until 1947. I wonder to which building your father refers?
It's the same old National Palace, except that Trujillo had it remodelled in 1947 with much fanfare.
Remodelled? That explanation doesn't work. Work on the Palacio Nacional was started in 1944. It was designed and constructed by an Italian architect at the bequest of Trujillo.
That said, I don't know if the previous National Palace was at the same location. More likely it was somewhere in the Zona Colonial since there would have been very little development near the current National Palace in 1930.
Time to pick up the phone and call dad.
That said, I don't know if the previous National Palace was at the same location. More likely it was somewhere in the Zona Colonial since there would have been very little development near the current National Palace in 1930.
Time to pick up the phone and call dad.
Porfio_Rubirosa said:Remodelled? That explanation doesn't work. Work on the Palacio Nacional was started in 1944. It was designed and constructed by an Italian architect at the bequest of Trujillo.
That said, I don't know if the previous National Palace was at the same location. More likely it was somewhere in the Zona Colonial since there would have been very little development near the current National Palace in 1930.
Time to pick up the phone and call dad.
You are silly indeed ;-) The 'old' Palacio Nacional sits on the same site. I have pictures, even the wrought iron front gates are the same as the old one. The fanfare about bringing a world famous Italian architect and 'redesigning' the building had more to do with justifying hidden expenses... By the way, my father was a witness to events, not a book worm like you. He can even tell you unpublished accounts of the real Porfirio Rubirosa, who he knew personally.