Puerta del Conde

The Conde’s Gate is one of the most symbolic locations in the Dominican Republic. Aside from being part of the old entrance wall to the Colonial City, protecting it from attacks, this arched gate is where one of the DR’s Founding Fathers, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, first raised the Dominican flag and proclaimed the nation’s independence on February 27, 1844. The Puerta del Conde—named after the Count of Peñalba, former captain general of Santo Domingo, who successfully defended the city from a British invasion in 1655—now serves as the main entrance to Independencia Park, where the Founding Fathers’ mausoleum rests. Also facing the start of Calle El Conde, it’s a place where the President of the Dominican Republic makes an appearance every year on Independence Day and on other official holidays to pay his respects to the nation’s heroes. Above the arch of Puerta del Conde is a Latin phrase that reads: “iDulce et Decori est pro patria morii” or “It is indeed sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland.”