In the Dominican Republic, different types of buildings can be found that are of great importance, both for the Dominican population and for tourists. One of these, is undoubtedly the House of the Cord, which is a building located in the heart of the colonial city of the Dominican capital, Santo Domingo, exactly at the Isabel La Católica corner with Emiliano Tejera.
The House of the Cord was one of the first houses in America and probably one of the first to have two floors made by Europeans, which is why it received the distinction of World Heritage by the UNESCO a few years ago.
The House of the Cord: A little of its history
This building, over the years, served as residence and accommodation for various personalities of the colonial history. Among these stand out Francisco de Garay, who was of great relevance at the beginning of the 16th century, participating in the conquest of Mexico, later became governor of Jamaica, so that he was later appointed to serve the very Christopher Columbus.
Others who settled in The House of the Cord were the viceroy Diego Colon and Maria de Toledo, his wife, being this lady niece of Ferdinand II. And for the time of the founding of the villa of Santo Domingo, it was Miguel Diaz who was the warden of the fortress founded by Bartolomé Colon. And as an interesting fact, the Royal Audiencia functioned in its facilities.
Architecture that steals glances
Without a doubt, its architecture not only catches the attention of all locals, but also of tourists, since The House of Cord has a Gothic Isabelino and Mudéjar style facade, it has two courtyards, and in one of them, original brick arches are preserved.
For the year 1974, it had a restoration, all of which was to convert it into a headquarters of a banking institution, but since then it has not been the only change, as it is currently the Taíno Cultural Center Casa del Cordón.
