Archeologists have found the graves of several famous Spaniards buried within San Francisco Monastery. Among them was Bartolomé Colón. Bartholomew Columbus was the younger brother of Christopher Columbus. Another was Spanish conquistador Alonso de Ojeda. After arriving in Santo Domingo with Columbus in 1493, Ojeda is famous for his three voyages to explore and map the northern coast of South America. As specified in his will, his body was interred below the church threshold when he died in 1515. The church’s former nave is now the occasional venue for concerts and other special events.
