Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración: El Museo

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A black, white, and light blue striped header image with the words Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración: El Museo

Back in June 2023, I visited Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración (Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration) in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. In the last two posts, I discussed las plazoletas (the little plazas) surrounding the monument and las escaleras (the steps) leading up to the monument. In this post, I finally go inside the monument to explore the lobby, diorama museum, murals, special exhibit, and rooftop overlook.

The Railing of the Monument overlooking Santiago; past the railing are city buildings and mountains underneath a cloudy sunset Looking up at the Monument

Lobby

If you enjoyed the statues on the steps outside the monument, you are in for a treat. More statues stand inside the lobby! My two favorite statues were of Ulises Francisco Espaillat, a political leader and president during the Second Republic (1865-1916) who supported the work of General Gregorio Luperón but primarily worked as a pharmacist; and Eugenio Perdomo, a patriotic poet from Santiago. On the wall is an excerpt from a letter written by military general Matías Ramón Mella to Spanish royalist and Dominican president Pedro Santana, who attempted to integrate the Dominican with Haiti and go back to rule under the Spanish Empire. This letter began the Restoration (1863-1865), and Santana was ousted from the presidency.

Bronze Statues of Ulises Francisco Espaillat and Eugenio Perdomo inside the lobby of the Monument; the lobby is covered in a white stone with a wall in the center hiding the elevator and stairs. Letter from Matías Ramón Mella to Pedro Santana; the letter is created of all caps sans serif bronze letters affixed to the side of a white stone wall.

Dioramas

The exhibits contain uniquely designed dioramas of famous political figures at important moments during the Restoration. A mix of look-alike mannequins, cardboard cutouts, murals, and household objects create the scenes. Some of the best scenes included the betrayal and pending execution of Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, the first president of the Dominican during the First Republic (1844-1861); the first government of the Restoration convening in Santiago, which included then-president José Antonio Salcedo, General Gaspar Polanco, Espaillat, General Luperón, and many other figures; Mella and General Luperón each leading factions of the guerrilla war; Mella arriving at the deathbed of Juan Pablo Duarte, padre de la patria (father of the fatherland); and an example of military uniforms during the Restoration.

Luperón leading a faction of the guerilla war; a Hispanic man in a military uniform riding a horse with a pair of militants hiding in the brush The betrayal and execution of Francisco del Rosario Sánchez; a Afro-Hispanic man draped in a Dominican flag is surrounded by chaotic people Mella leading factions of the guerrilla war; a man rides a horse while another man yells at the sky
Diorama of the first government of the Restoration convening in Santiago; Diorama of Uniforms Worn During the Restoration Diorama of Matías Ramón Mella at the Deathbed of Juan Pablo Duarte

Murals

Along the walls of the museum are paintings by Spanish-Dominican muralist José Vela Zanetti, who also created works for the office of the United Nations Security Council at its headquarters in New York City, NY and for the International Labor Office in Geneva, Switzerland. Some murals are realistic, such as one depicting the founders of the country: Duarte, Mella, and Sánchez. This triple portrait has a minor error, since Duarte is painted with either six fingers or an exceptionally long thumb on his right hand. Another group portrait imagines Restoration era political leaders standing together in a single room, including Salcedo, Polanco, ninth president General Pedro Antonio Pimentel, multi-time president José María Cabral, Espaillat wearing his glasses, and General Luperón wearing his hat. A portrait of poet and educator Salomé Ureña Henriquez in her outdoor classroom demonstrates the history and importance of education in the Dominican.

Salomé Ureña teaching in her outdoor classroom; a young woman writes on a small chalkboard while instructing a group of adults Portrait of Duarte, Mella, and Sánchez; three Hispanic men wearing 19th century clothing The Sixth Finger or Long Thumb of Duarte; a man's hand grasps a scroll in an unusual way
Mural depicting the political leaders of the Restoration; Salcedo, Polanco, Pimentel, Cabral, Espaillat, and Luperón. Fighting the War of Restoration; a pair of military leaders stand near a cannon as skirmish happens in the background

Symbolic paintings show beautiful, powerful women wearing white dresses, soaring overhead or in front of the population, and representing peace and freedom. Strong men wearing tank tops or shirtless represent liberation and industry. Catholic imagery is rife throughout the artworks. In one mural, the hands of God drop seeds from the sky onto an open Bible set upon a plowed field. Another alludes to La Sagrada Familia (the Holy Family), with the mother wearing a pale blue dress and holding up her baby to kiss the father. An icon of Santa María hangs on the back wall of the house, and beams of sunlight illuminate the family. These iconic images could easily be their own museum.

Wrestling for Freedom; a pair of scantily clad men wrestle while standing. One man carries a Dominican flag. Mourning the Loss of Independence; four scantily clad men huddle in a pile, many with backs turned to the audience
Breaking the Chains of Oppression; a shirtless man representing freedom stands with his back to the viewer and breaks his chains over his head Peace & Freedom Flies Overhead; a long haired woman clothed in white flies over a crowd of people La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family); the mother wearing a pale blue dress and holding up her baby to kiss the father. An icon of Santa María hangs on the back wall, and beams of sunlight illuminate the family
Gifts from Heaven; the hands of God dropping grain seeds from the sky onto an open Bible set upon a plowed field Peace & Freedom Going Before the People; a woman clothed in white and carrying a white banner walks in front of a sad crowd Industrialization; a pair of men wearing tank tops hoist a large metal I-beam overhead. In the background are factories.

Other Exhibits

During the sixtieth anniversary of the monument, visitors can view temporary exhibit of black-and-white photography featuring the monument in its many iterations since its construction in 1963. Favorite photos included the building of the monument and a circus in a park near the monument. In the office near the photography exhibit is a wooden sculpture depicting the monument, el Río Yaque del Norte (the North Yaque River), and the face of Mamoru Matsunaga who designed the landscape of the monument. In the stairwell, visitors can pause to study the busts of important political and military figures that stand in many of the small windows.

Bust of Mella; a white bust of a heavily mustached man set on a window sill A Gallery of Black-and-White Photographs of the Monument Wooden sculpture depicting the monument, the Río Yaque del Norte (North Yaque River), and the face of Mamoru Matsunaga

Displayed on the top floor is modern art demonstrating the culture of Santiago. A pair of lechones costumes (piglet mascots) guard the room. On the walls are contemporary murals, each painted by a different artist in a unique style. One mural depicts a line of marchantas (women merchants) who carry fresh produces in large bowls on their heads and sell their wares in public markets. The women wear colorful dresses in patterns reminiscent of kente cloth as a connection to their African heritage. The marchanta at the front of the line carries an enormous Dominican flag. In contrast, another mural shows Santa María clothed in blue and wearing the crown of heaven as she prays over campesinos guerrilleros (peasant guerrillas) fighting for the freedom of their country.

Dominican Flag Inspired Lechón; a piglet mascot costume in red, white, and blue Colorful Lechón; a piglet mascot costume in many colors
Marchantas; a line of women merchants carry fresh produces in large bowls on their heads and sell their wares in public markets. The women wear colorful dresses in patterns reminiscent of kente cloth as a connect to their African heritage. The marchanta at the front of the line carries an enormous Dominican flagl Santa María y los campesinos guerrilleros; Saint Mary is clothed in blue and wears the crown of heaven as she prays over the peasant guerrillas fighting for the freedom of their country

Conclusion

The museum costs 200 pesos to enter, about $4 USD, and is worth every peso. The building is open irregularly and with no obvious schedule, so seize the opportunity to go if the door happens to be unlocked. Visitors access the three stories of exhibits by stairs or elevator. Some dioramas could use tender loving care, especially on the smudged plexiglass, but the maintenance schedule for the museum is unclear. The exhibits are rarely crowded with plenty of time to take pictures. The galleries are without benches, although these would allow visitors more time to study each exhibit without tiring their legs.

American visitors should be aware that no audio tour is available, and all signage is in Spanish. You will enjoy the experience much more if you know Spanish or have a bilingual guide for translation. For example, even though I read Spanish at a B2 (Upper Intermediate) level based on the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) and have a strong grasp of academic terminology and historical concepts, I still found an additional guided translation helpful, as signage tended to use complex sentence structure and idioms not directly translatable into English. Some signage is worn, adding difficulty to deciphering the information.


Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 9/10

Accessibility: 4/10



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