| The Columbus Lighthouse (Faro a Colón) | |
| Map Type: | Dominican Republic |
| Map Relief: | 1 |
| Coordinates: | 18.4786°N -69.8682°W |
| Location: | Santo Domingo Este |
| Architect: | Teófilo Carbonell J. L. Gleave |
Columbus Lighthouse (Spanish; Castilian: Faro a Colón|links=no, meaning "Lighthouse to Columbus") is a mausoleum monument to Christopher Columbus located in Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic.
Construction began in 1986, using plans drawn in 1931 by Scottish architect J.L. Gleave. In time for the 500th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage, the monument was inaugurated in 1992. It was funded by the Latin American states[1] [2] and the total cost of construction was approximately US$70 million.
The monument's lighthouse-style features projecting beams of light, forming a cross shape, which are so powerful that they can be seen from neighboring Puerto Rico.
The Columbus Lighthouse is a cross-shaped monument made of reinforced concrete, Its dimensions are 680feet by 195feet. The cross represents the Christianization of the Americas. There are 157 beams of light that emanate towards the sky from the structure and a rotating beam, which can be seen from space.
According to the Dominican authorities, remains of Christopher Columbus are sheltered at the lighthouse. However, Spanish authorities have proved through DNA tests that the Cathedral of Seville contains the remains of Columbus. Researchers point out that this strong evidence does not exclude the possibility that the bones in Santo Domingo also belong to the explorer.The Dominican authorities have not allowed the same DNA tests to be done to the remains in the lighthouse, so it is impossible to know if any remains of Columbus are there.[3] [4] The monument is both a mausoleum and a museum showcasing objects, including a boat from Cuba and Colombian jewelry.
Once a year, on Columbus Day, the remains are displayed in their crypt (behind a sheet of glass).
The Dominican historian Antonio Delmonte y Tejada, in his book History of Santo Domingo, published in 1852, expressed the idea of erecting a monument in honor of Columbus in Santo Domingo.[5] In 1914, the American, Pulliam William Ellis, began promoting a monumental beacon in the first city of the New World to the American press. The concept was accepted during the 1923 Fifth International Conference in Chile, when it was decreed that this monument should be built in cooperation by all governments and peoples of the Americas.
Scottish architect Joseph Lea Gleave won a competition among 455 participants from 48 countries. The event was held in Brazil in 1931, with judges including architects Horacio Acosta y Lara (Uruguay), Eliel Saarinen (Finland), and Frank Lloyd Wright (USA).[6] However, by 1950, only eight countries had made contributions, totaling less than $15,000. Yet, the Dominican government forged ahead with the project, and in 1948, the foundation was dug.[5] After 1948, growing political instability made it necessary to halt construction until 1986. During the government of Joaquín Balaguer, construction resumed under the supervision of the Dominican architect Teófilo Carbonell, and culminated with its completion in 1992, in time for the celebration of the quincentennial discovery of the Americas.[7]
The monument, though conceived by Gleave as a mausoleum, was adapted to house a permanent collection of exhibitions from each country of the Americas, as well as other European and Asian countries, as requested by former President Balaguer. The exhibitions house items of cultural heritage from each country; Tony Horwitz wrote in 2008 that the United States's exhibition included a handful of small photographs of Independence Day celebrations, as well as many poster-sized reproductions of newspaper front pages reporting on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.