Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración: Las Plazoletas

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In late June 2023, I visited the Dominican Republic and learned about the history and culture of the country. My first stop was Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración (Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration) in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros, part of the Cibao region. Originally constructed as part of the Dominican independence centennial celebration in 1944 by Dominican architect Henry Gazón Bona as El Monumento a la Paz de Trujillo (The Monument to Peace from Trujillo) in honor of a dictator, the current iteration of the monument instead honors those who served in the military, government, and other organizations during Guerra de la Restauración (War of the Restoration), which lasted from 1863 to 1865. The figures appearing on las plazoletas (little plazas), las escaleras (the stairs of the monument), and in el museo (the museum) are also found throughout the country. In part one of a three post series about the monument, I focus on las plazoletas.

Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración as viewed from Plazoleta Informacion Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración as viewed near the memorial to Mamoru Matsunaga

The grounds surrounding the museum depict Dominican heroes who lived after the Restoration. Plazoleta de la Información (Little Plaza of Information) is named after a national newspaper and features sculptures of artists and writers. Emerging from a rock is the face of Mamoru Matsunaga, the “Father of Dominican Judo” who also worked as a landscape designer. A sign and statue commemorates Ulises Franco Bido who founded “El Dia”, the first periodical journal in Santiago. A statue of folk musician Ñico Lora playing his accordion stands on one pedestal, while a statue of modernist painter Yoryi Morel holding out a paintbrush stands on another pedestal. Nearby, a rusty statue depicts General Gregorio Luperón riding his horse into battle. He led Dominican troops during the Restoration and later became the twentieth president of the country, earning him the nickname “Primera Espada de la Restauración” (First Sword of the Restoration).

Memorial to Mamoru Matsunga; a rock with a bronze face of a Japanese man emerging from the top and a plaque with his name and information underneath. Plazoleta de La Informacion sign and statue of Ulises Franco Bido; a sign with yellow blocky lettering on a red base standing behind a statue of a man sitting on a metal bench reading a newspaper. Over the shoulder of the Ulises Franco Bido statue; a man reading a newspaper
Statue of modernist painter Yoryi Morel holding out a paintbrush with the monument in the background. A statue of folk musician Ñico Lora playing his accordion, the monument is in the background on the left Rusty statue depicting General Gregorio Luperón riding his horse into battle

At Plazoleta Tradiciones Santiagueras (Little Plaza of Traditional Santiago People) in another corner of the park features folk characters who still appear during parades and certain holidays. A statue depicting a horse drawn carriage with three passengers harkens back to the time of the Restoration. Statues of lechones (piglet mascots) are decorated by theme aligning to business ventures such as pepinero (cucumber) and joyero (jewelry). Other statues of parade characters include La Marchanta, a woman merchant who hawks her wares on the street, and Robalagallina Espectacular (Spectacular Chicken Robber), the drag persona of immensely popular entertainer Raudy Torres.

State of Lechon Pepinero Statue of La Marchanta; a woman in colonial clothing with a large hat Statue of Robalagallina Espectacular; an enormous woman wearing a frilled skirt

Plazoleta Águilas Cibaeñas (Little Plaza of Cibeo Eagles) is dedicated to the Santiago professional baseball team, Águilas Cibaeñas. A line of statues wearing the distinct yellow uniform acts as a hall of fame for players with retired numbers. The signage in this area leaves something to be desired, as the best English language source is an uncited section of the team’s outdated Wikipedia page.

A statue depicting a horse drawn carriage with three passengers. Plazoleta Águilas Cibaeñas statues; A line of statues wearing the distinct yellow uniform, which acts as a hall of fame for players with retired numbers.

I highly recommend visiting these stops around the monument before venturing inside. Be mindful of local people spending the day in the park, and ignore those trying to sell you water, candy, and knicknacks.


Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 8/10

Accessibility: 6/10



Location: F824+946 Daniel Espinal, Santiago De Los Caballeros 51000, Dominican Republic