Santo Domingo.– As this Wednesday marks 528 years since the founding of the city of Santo Domingo, a sculpture of Saint Dominic of Guzmán was inaugurated in the Plaza del Convento, in front of the historic convent of the Dominican Friars, as a tribute to the founder of the Order of Preachers and to the legacy that remains linked to the history of the Dominican capital.
The work was unveiled during a ceremony organized by the Steering Committee for the Statue of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, the Dominican Friars, the National District City Council, and the National Directorate of Monumental Heritage, precisely on a date that marks a new anniversary of the city’s founding.
The initiative arose from the Dominican sister Rosa Monique Peña, who conceived the sculpture as a permanent tribute to Saint Dominic de Guzmán. The piece, created by the Dominican artist Dustin Muñoz, represents the saint in a preaching posture, an expression that, according to Peña, reflects the mission that gave meaning to his entire life.
During the ceremony, the mayor of the National District, Carolina Mejía, highlighted the mark that the Dominican Friars have left on Santo Domingo through faith, education, culture, and the defense of human dignity.
Meanwhile, the parish priest of the Dominican Convent, Friar José Alberto Hidalgo, highlighted the search for truth and study as pillars of the charism of the Order of Preachers. María Teresa Ruiz de Catrain also recalled the historical significance of the name Santo Domingo and its influence on the construction of national identity.
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During the event, special thanks were also expressed to Rosa Margarita Bonetti, whose generosity made the sculpture a reality.
The new piece is installed in front of a convent that has borne the name of Santo Domingo de Guzmán for more than five centuries, in a space that connects religious heritage with the history of the city.
With this inauguration, Santo Domingo commemorates its 528 years of foundation by paying tribute to a figure closely linked to its identity, while recognizing the legacy of the Order of Preachers and its presence in the historical, cultural, and spiritual life of the city.
