Santiago, R.D. – With a series of civic and religious activities, the people of Santiago celebrated this Friday the 530th anniversary of the founding of Santiago de los Caballeros, known as the First Santiago of America, as well as the Day of Saint James the Apostle, its patron saint.
The commemorative acts began at 8:00 in the morning with a floral offering at the foot of the equestrian statue of the apostle Santiago, as well as the raising of the flags of the Dominican Republic, the municipality of Santiago de los Caballeros and the Kingdom of Spain.
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The activity, held at the main entrance of Ciudad Corazón, was led by Mayor Ulises Rodríguez, Senator Daniel Rivera, Provincial Governor Rosa Santos, Deputy Mayor Mariana Moreno, and the General Director of Coraasan, engineer Andrés Cueto.
During his speech, Mayor Ulises Rodríguez highlighted the historical importance of the city, recalling that since its foundation, men and women worked with dedication to build the identity of Santiago.
“The Heart city has always been a bastion of faith, culture, work and, above all, of resistance in the moments when the homeland has needed it”, he expressed.
For her part, Governor Rosa Santos advocated for continuing to strengthen the values and culture of the city, while expressing her wish that “Santiago continue to grow in principles, without losing its identity as the First Santiago of America.”
In the same vein, the metropolitan archbishop, Monsignor Héctor Rafael Rodríguez, called on the authorities to transmit the love for the city to the new generations, in order to preserve its historical legacy.
The
patron saint festivities, which began on July 16th, will conclude this Friday the 25th with the traditional procession of the Patron Saint, which will go through the emblematic Del Sol street starting at 5:00 in the afternoon.
Santiago de los Caballeros was founded in “1495” during the Spanish colonization, becoming the second most important city in the Dominican Republic and the main metropolitan center of the northern or Cibao region.
With an area of 612 km², Santiago is one of the main economic, financial, political, social and cultural centers of the country. It is located in the north-central region of the national territory, specifically in the fertile Cibao Valley, about 155 kilometers northwest of Santo Domingo.
In 1515, by order of Governor Fray Nicolás de Ovando, the original settlement was moved from the banks of the Yaque del Norte River to the Jacagua site. The town, named in honor of Santiago de Compostela —a Spanish city—, was given the title “de los Caballeros” in reference to the first 30 Spanish settlers who arrived as knights.
