Built in 1747 as a Jesuit church, this was also a tobacco warehouse and a theater before dictator Trujillo restored it in 1958 for its current use as a mausoleum. Today many of the country’s most illustrious persons are honored here, their remains sealed behind two marble walls. The building, including its neoclassical facade, was constructed with large limestone blocks.
As befits such a place, an armed soldier is ever present at the mausoleum’s entrance – along with a powerful fan since it does get hot. Shorts and tank tops are discouraged.