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At the heart of the Dominican Republic's capitol, Santo Domingo, is the Zona Colonial; a historical gem of the Americas. This historic neighborhood consists of a maze of narrow cobblestone streets banked by a plethora of 16th to early 20th century architectural wonders. As you walk these age-old streets it is easy to travel back in time to the first colonization of the Americas.
Christopher Columbus tried a few times to settle the New World, but it was his brother, Bartolome Colombus, that finally succeeded with the founding of Santo Domingo in 1498. Bartolome was followed by Diego Colombus (Christopher Colombus's son), the Dominican Order, and Nicolás de Ovando, all of which would make their mark on this already historic city to build many of the firsts in the Americas.