The Santuario de San Dionisio is the original church next to the modern basilica, and the one that gives Higüey its historical religious significance. It dates to the sixteenth century — one of the oldest churches in the Americas — though it has been modified repeatedly over the centuries. The facade is plain colonial Dominican style; the interior houses the venerated image of the Virgen de la Altagracia in an ornate golden altar.
The contrast with the giant modern basilica beside it is instructive. The old sanctuary is intimate, worn with centuries of devotion, and filled with ex-votos left by the faithful. Standing in both buildings on the same visit tells you something about how religion has evolved in this country — from the colonial stone church to the ambitious modernist arch — while the object of veneration remains the same small painting on a wooden panel.