Heroines. The six women are María Trinidad Sánchez, Socorro del Rosario Sánchez, Balbina de Peña, Rosa Duarte, Salome Ureña and Abigail Mejía, all of them dedicated to their country.
The remains of important historical figures rest in distinguished tombs in the Pantheon of the Homeland, where they were deposited in honor of the contributions they made to the nation during their lifetime.
Initially, the historic mausoleum was known as the National Pantheon, installed where a church once stood.
Just days before celebrating the 50th anniversary of its formal inauguration as the Pantheon of the Homeland, on August 16, 1974, it is interesting to know the history that this mausoleum keeps in every corner, since it preserves the remains of heroes and heroines whose deeds marked the history of the country.
The heroes of the Restoration, independence fighters and illustrious figures of Dominican literature are some of the personalities that are buried in different parts of this historic pantheon.
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Currently in the Pantheon of the Homeland there are 56 epitaphs (niches with bodies), five cenotaphs (niches without bodies), and 34 available, for a total of 100 niches. Of these tombs, six are occupied by prominent women.
The six women are María Trinidad Sánchez, Socorro del Rosario Sánchez, Balbina de Peña, Rosa Duarte, Salome Ureña and Abigail Mejía, the latter being the last to be transferred from the Chapel of the Immortals. The transfer of Abigail Mejia to the Pantheon of the Homeland took place on September 28, 2023, by means of Presidential Decree 164-23. She is the seventh woman in the pantheon placed in niche 56.
a little bit of history
What is now a sacred place to commemorate the heroes who gave their lives while fighting for national sovereignty, previously functioned as a popular market, theater, government offices, treasury and office of issuance of certificates.
The building that we appreciate today with the warmth of those times, when it was built by the Spaniards from 1714 to 1755, in its beginnings was a church occupied by the Jesuits before they emigrated to their land. It became a totally abandoned space and, later, a state territory.
The director of the Pantheon of the Homeland, Gustavo Ubrí, said that it was in May 1956 when the Catholic Church sent a letter to the president of that time, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, asking that this place be turned back into a temple.
In addition, for it to be a mausoleum where the bodies of the personalities that rested in the Chapel of the Immortals, which is located in the Primate Cathedral of America, are kept.
Ubrí said that it was in June of that same year when the decree was issued to begin the arrangements of the place.
He also indicated that the modifications were in charge of the Spanish architect Javier Barroso, who was responsible for installing the votive lamp in the center of the nave and the one located in the dome with 28 angels, this being a donation from the Spanish government.
Source:Listindiario.com
