Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 14 September 2016

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This morning we headed on foot to the ruined monastery of San Francisco.  Usually I show the images sequentially but since my shots of the monastery are interspersed with images from nearby streets, I have separated them out for the next post.

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This vehicle was parked in the street right outside where we were staying, in the centre of the old city.  Its headlights are in less than perfect condition, it lacks a front bumper and numberplate, it is held together with twine, the windscreen is cracked and it has a severe case of rust.  Apart from that, it’s probably in perfect condition.  It may be that it’s not a new vehicle off the showroom floor.  I suspect you wouldn’t last very long though driving it around Canberra.

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Just around the corner from where we were staying was an old church which we had noticed the previous day and it was open so we visited.

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It seemed as though it must be The Church of the Working Man because of the figure at the altar.  He appears to be merely cleaning it though.

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It is in fact Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes or the Church of Our Lady of the Mercedes and there is usually an impressively attired female figure at the altar.

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The Señora de las Mercedes is the patron Saint of the island.  This is presumably her, off to the right of the altar, but a different representation usually stands on the altar.

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It is one of the oldest churches in Santo Domingo, constructed between 1527 and 1555.

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Looking up.  (Fisheye HDR).

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It was sacked by Drake in 1586 and damaged by cyclones in the 1590s and 1628, and by an earthquake in 1615.  It was later restored though so much of it is not original.

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Actually deciphering the Latin inscription is another thing, but this appears to be the tomb of a bishop from 1644.

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Old buildings on the street (This one a largely corrected fisheye image).

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The ruined monastery of San Francisco in the background.

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This is now Calle Hostos.

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This section features some very old workers’ cottages, protected by UNESCO listing.

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A corner of the ruined monastery of San Francisco in the background.

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