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| National Pantheon of the Dominican Republic | |
|---|---|
Interior of the Pantheon
| |
| Location | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Coordinates | 18°28′30″N 69°52′59″W / 18.47500°N 69.88306°W / 18.47500; -69.88306 (National Pantheon of the Dominican Republic) |
| Built | 1714–1746 |
| Restored | 1956 |
| Restored by | Javier Borroso |
| Architect | Geronimo Quezada y Garçon |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassic-renaissance |
  Location in Dominican Republic | |
The National Pantheon was built from 1714 to 1746 by the Spaniard Geronimo Quezada y Garçon and was originally a Jesuit church.[1][2] The structure was constructed in the neoclassic-renaissance style. Today, the structure stands as a national symbol of the Dominican Republic and serves as the final resting place of the Republic's most honored citizens.[citation needed]
Jesuits held mass here until 1767. After 1767, it was used as a tobacco warehouse and then as the first Dominican theater for purely artistic purposes by the society Amantes de las Letras in 1860 until 1878 when it became theater La Republicana which operated until 1917.[3] It housed governmental offices until 1956.
In 1956, Spanish architect Javier Borroso renovated the structure to serve its new purpose as a national mausoleum, by order of then dictator Rafael Trujillo. Originally, Trujillo envisioned being interred at the National Pantheon, yet today it is the place where the country's most famous persons are honored, among others Trujillo's assassins.[1]
