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arrived in Santo Domingo in the capacity of judge and governor of the Island of Hispaniola, to allow the bishop’s
constable to use the staff of office, a sign of his respected episcopal jurisdiction, and to entrust the bishop with
the education of the children of the
caciques
of the Island of Hispaniola for two years. It also authorized him to
mete out punishment to those who interfered with his duties or violated any ordinances issued for this purpose.
6
Figueroa followed the orders, but he did not last long in the position of Governor of Hispaniola and was quickly
replaced by Diego Columbus, who gave preferential treatment to Geraldini.
Upon his arrival in the city, Geraldini found a small wooden church covered in cane palm leaves, which had
been the town’s church prior to the creation of the diocese in 1511. For this reason, he expedited the construction
of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, blessing the cornerstone on March 25, 1521.
7
At that time, Emperor Charles
V and Queen Joanna of Castile reigned, and Bishop Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca served as the president of the
Council of the Indies. He was very influential in decision-making with regard to indigenous affairs and the person
who likely sent the designs for the new Cathedral of Santo Domingo.
At present, the designs for the cathedral are lost. However, it is quite likely that more than one master
builder was involved in the designs and that the original project underwent modifications, as suggested
by documents and evidence in the building. The style of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo is late Gothic,
a Spanish type of Hallenkirche, or column church incorporating both “modern” and Roman elements, as
they were called during that era.
The construction was halted and restarted numerous times with modifications. The first suspension oc-
curred after Geraldini’s death on March 8, 1524. At that time, the project was taken over by Dean Rodrigo
de Bastidas. This second construction phase lasted only three years, stopping again at the end of 1527 when
Bastidas left for Spain.
The third phase of construction began in 1528 when new builders arrived at the cathedral. The construction
was again halted in 1531, due to economic problems and the appointment of Bastidas as Bishop of the Diocese of
Coro (Venezuela). But Bastidas did not remain in Coro for long, and he returned to Santo Domingo to resume
construction. In 1535, news about the progress of the construction of the cathedral was reported. The builders
rushed to complete the central and lateral naves and the niche chapels so that the cathedral’s liturgical functions
could commence; indeed, Rodrigo de Bastidas celebrated the first mass at the cathedral in November 1537. The
consecration of the cathedral took place on August 31, 1541: Alonso de Fuenmayor was the reigning bishop. A
fourth construction phase began in 1542 with the construction of the bell tower but was suspended in 1546. It was
then that the mausoleum for Bishop Alessandro Geraldini was built, and significant modifications were made to
the interior of the cathedral.
Funerary Art during the Spanish Renaissance
Death has been understood in different ways over time, depending on the society. Throughout history, tombs and
mausoleums have played important roles as characteristic features of regions and cultures. They can reflect religious
and ideological ideals, represent the social status of one’s life, and also demonstrate political and economic power.
The significance of the funerary monument ranges from existing as the mere place of one’s mortal remains
to serving as a testament to one’s life, a symbol of power and greatness, or a glimpse into the world of an ac-
complished individual. The monument becomes a sanctuary devoted to the memory of the deceased individual,
created from the human fear of disappearing into oblivion.
The Middle Ages ended with a Europe that was divided with regard to the philosophies and ideas that char-
acterized the sociopolitical situation of each region. On the Iberian Peninsula, medieval philosophy still prevailed:
God and Christianity were at the center of all actions and humankind at the second tier, asking man to remain
unnoticed and oftentimes anonymous. This line of thinking increased with the Catholic monarchs, who used
religion as a common ground for uniting the kingdoms of the peninsula, integrating Muslims and Jews and colo-
nizing the new overseas territories.