From Jesuit church to national shrine
Raised between 1714 and 1746 as the church of the Jesuits, the building outlived the order that built it. After the Jesuits were expelled it served in turn as a tobacco warehouse and even a theatre, before being restored and dedicated in 1958 as the Panteón Nacional.
Its sober neoclassical interior, lit by a great bronze chandelier, was made over to honour the men and women who shaped the nation.
The heroes of the Republic
Beneath its dome lie the remains of founding fathers, presidents and figures of Dominican independence and history. An eternal flame burns at the centre, and a military honour guard keeps watch, changing in slow ceremony through the day.
It remains a place of state remembrance, and one of the most solemn interiors in the Colonial Zone.
What you'll see
- ✦The eternal flame and the military honour guard
- ✦The tombs of national heroes beneath the dome
- ✦The neoclassical interior and great bronze chandelier
- ✦Its setting on the oldest street in the Americas
