Ozama Fortress

The Ozama Fortress is one of the historical cultural monuments of the city of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. It is one of the monuments built by the Spaniards during the colonial era or the conquest and colonization. Today it is considered a World Heritage Site, along with the other monuments of the Colonial City.

The Ozama Fortress is part of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo. According to historians and architects, the construction of this monument lasted from 1502 to 1508, which was initiated by Governor Nicolás de Ovando.

Its name is due to its location near the Ozama River. This fortress is also the oldest of the constructions made in America and on the island.
The main objective of this construction was to protect the city from the various attacks of English, French and Portuguese pirates and conquerors.

The Ozama Fortress was called during the colonial era Torre del Homenaje, although later it was also called Torre de la Vigía or Torre de la Vigilancia, since at the top you could see the entrance of the Ozama River and the coast of the Caribbean Sea.

The construction of this fortress is designed in the form of a stone castle and still retains its original architecture. Inside the fortress there are tunnels and dungeons where the prisoners were locked up, being Christopher Columbus himself one of the most important characters in the history of America who was locked there.

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