Located at the mouth of the Ozama, on the south coast of Hispaniola Island, the Colonial City of Santo Domingo is the core from which Santo Domingo de Guzman, capital of the Dominican Republic, was founded. It is also the first fortified city (fortress of Santo Domingo and its Torre del Homenaje) and the first headquarters of Spanish power in the New World. Criterion (ii): The Colonial City of Santo Domingo has exercised a strong influence on the development of the cities of the Caribbean and the American continent. IntegrityThe Colonial City of Santo Domingo, surrounded by its walls, has preserved, almost unaltered, the extension of its territory, its grid layout and most of its architectural monumental structures. AuthenticityThe Colonial City of Santo Domingo has retained intact its original perimeter, conserving most of its walls and forts.