Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration

The Monument a los Heroes de la Restauracion (Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration) sits atop a hillside overlooking the beautiful city of Santiago de los Trenta Caballeros, Dominican Republic and its population of more than one million. Construction of the Monument began in 1944, under the direction of then, dictator Rafael Trujillo. Initially, the monument was built as a tribute to the dictator himself and was named “Trujillo Monument to Peace”.  However, many citizens also considered the Monument a one hundred year anniversary of the Dominican War of Independence from Haiti in 1844.

In 1961 Trujillo was assassinated. The new government renamed the Monument to what it is called today “Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration” and dedicated it to the heroes of the Dominican Restoration War fought between Dominican Colonist and Spain from 1863 to 1865. When you visit the monument, surrounding this Victorian style structure, you will see 20 bronze, larger than life, statues of the heroes responsible for helping to shape the country into what it is today; those people, not in any particular order, are: Santiago Rodriguez, Pepilo Salcedo, Pedro Francisco Bono, Pedro Antonio Pimentel, Matias Ramon Mella, Manuel Rodriguez Objio, Juan Pablo Duarte, Jose Maria Cabral, Jose Contreras, Jose Cabrera, Gregorio Luperon, Gaspar Polanco, Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, Eugenio Perdomo, Benito Moncion, Benigno Filomento de Rojas, Belisario Curiel, Alfredo Beetjen and of course the Campesino and Campesina Guerrillero. Before your visit to the Monument I recommend taking some time to learn about the Heroes of the Restoration above to enhance your experience.

The Monument is a splendid architectural design reaching 230 feet into the sky. The area of the Monument is a hotbed of excitement where restaurants, nightlife and local Dominicans come together.  One of my favorite restaurants is “Kukara Makara”, with its western (cowboy) themed ambiance, great food & service, open air style and wonderful views of the monument, highly recommended. With the abundance of nightclubs, outdoor bars and local vendors setup on the grounds at the base of the Monument there is no shortage of entertainment venues. Try “Montezuma” nightclub, next door to Kukara Makara on Friday or Saturday night, you will not be disappointed.