The original Church of Our Lady of Grace was built as a chapel adjacent to Hospital San Nicolás de Bari. Both were founded in 1503 by Nicolás de Ovando, the first governor of Hispanola. The latter is now in ruins. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia was rebuilt in 1922 with a stunning, Elizabethan Gothic design. The Catholic church is dedicated to the Virgin of Altagracia. January 21 is the feast day for this protector saint of the Dominican Republic.
