Santo Domingo convent

Santo Domingo Convent
Convento de Santo Domingo
Basilic of Our Lady of the Rosary and Convent of Santo Domingo.
Country	Argentina
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Founded	1856; 161 years ago (1856)
Architecture
Status	Church
Functional status	Active
Style	Neoclassical
Specifications
Materials	Brick

The Santo Domingo Convent, or Basilic of Our Lady of the Rosary and Convent of Santo Domingo is a convent for Our Lady of the Rosary located in the Monserrat neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Built during the colonial times, it was the scenario of a military conflict during the British invasions of the Río de la Plata. It holds as well the tomb of the Argentine national hero Manuel Belgrano.

Although the Dominicans occupied the site since 1606, it was not until 1751 that they began to raise the present building, designed by the architect Antonio Masella Turin. On June 29 the stone foundation of the temple was laid, but the work did not progress steadily due to disagreements between the designer and the religious order. From 1762 until 1779 construction efforts were renewed by Don Juan de Lezica and Torrezuri as the main benefactor and director of the project. The unfinished church was consecrated on October the 17th of 1783, while architect Manuel Rocha Alvarez Masella continued the work. The following year the tower was completed.

The February 11, 1792, when the necessary donations were gathered, the foundation of the Convent of Santo Domingo began. It was concluded in 1805, as deduced from the absence of further records of expenses on the project.

The June 27, 1806, British troops under General William Beresford attacked Buenos Aires, which was not prepared to face the invasion. On Sunday the 1st of July, Since no religious service would be given at the monastery, the captain Captain Santiago de Liniers and Brémont told Fray Gregorio Torres that should he receive the protection of the Virgin and retake the city, he would donate the invader's colors to the church. The invading force was defeated on the 12th of the month, and Liniers donated the flags on the 24th. They are since then kept at the church.

On July the second of 1807 the British attempted to seize Buenos Aires for the second time. The invaders took refuge in the east tower form where they offered resistance to the forces of the Tercio de Cántabros Montañeses militia unit, commanded by Colonel Pedro Andrés García, in what became known as the Battle of Santo Domingo. The tower was damaged by cannon fire and rebuilt afterwards. The original projectiles have been removed from the structure and replaced with commemorative pieces of wood representing the impacts.