Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración

Hilltop column commemorating the 1863 war that drove Spain out of the country

Address Av Monumental, Santiago de los Caballeros

The Monumento dominates Santiago's skyline — a 70-metre marble and travertine column rising from a hilltop at the eastern edge of downtown. Climb the spiral staircase inside and the view from the top runs out across the Cibao Valley to the Cordillera Central. The interior has murals by the Spanish painter Vela Zanetti depicting scenes from Dominican history.

The monument was originally built by Trujillo to glorify himself; after his assassination it was hastily rededicated to the heroes of the 1863 Restoration War against Spain, which began in this region. The plaza below is a popular evening gathering spot. The complex is generally open by day and the entrance is free or very cheap.

things to do sight monument
A story
Dictator Rafael Trujillo built the 70-metre column in the 1940s and put a giant gilded statue of himself on top. When Trujillo was assassinated in 1961 the statue was hauled down within days, and the monument was rededicated to the actual heroes of the 1863 Restoration War that had ended Spanish reannexation of the country.