In 1510, Fort of San Gil was strategically built where the Ozama River flows into the Caribbean Sea. The single sentry box on the polygonal bastion could easily detect any enemy ship approaching Santo Domingo. After the original Fuerte de San Gil was heavily damaged by a storm in 1887, it was reconstructed to the original appearance. In the background is Obelisco Hembra. The official name for the Female Obelisk is the Monument to Financial Independence. The twin, 66 foot monoliths were raised in 1947 when the Dominican Republic paid off its debts to the United States.
