Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia / Higuey Basilica (The Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia)
Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia (Our Lady of Altagracia) is the spiritual mother of the Dominicans. To the Dominicans She's what La Caridad del Cobre is to Cubans and what Our Lady of Guadalupe is to Mexicans. This modern Basilica has a 225 ft high arch, and is constructed mostly of concrete. It was was officially inaugurated by Dr. Joaquin Balaguer on January 21, 1971 which is known as Altagracia day. Each year, thousands visit the Basilica on Altagracia Day, to celebrate the Sabana Battle, a Dominican victory over the French on January 21, 1691. Ironically the Basilica, also known as Higuey Basilica (after the town where it is located) was designed by French architects A. Dunoyer de Segonzac and Pierre Dupre and it replaced the antique sanctuary built back in 1572. The Basilica was declared a Dominican Monument on October 12, 1970, and on the 17th of October of the same year Pope John Paul IV declared it a Minor Basilica. Two years later, on August 15, 1972, the Basilica was declared the Diocese of Salva Leon de Higuey. On September 2002 a color lighting scheme designed to bathe the gray concrete in bright color from sunset to midnight was implemented. The Basilica is surrounded by hundreds of Royal Palms arranged in a geometrical pattern around the structure. The Basilica has a bell tower composed by 45 bronze bells. The entry is bronze coated with 24k gold and blessed in Rome. You can see all these details in this gallery.
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