Known for being one of the most important historical buildings in Latin America, the first university in America was born within it, called the University of Santo Tomás de Aquino. One of the main specialties of this university was Theology, from which great important figures of the colonial life of the time emerged, such as Fray Antón de Montesinos, who made the first call to defend human rights. The later Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo has its origins in this building.

Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990, the church and convent has a beautiful façade, mixing Gothic, Baroque and Elizabethan Gothic styles. Its façade is richly ornamented with coral, white stone and also features ceramic designs. The interior of the convent presents an impressive Roman and Gothic design, with vaulted ceilings, ornate chapels, a mahogany altar with gold leaf decorations and a statue of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, founder of the order.

In addition, it houses five altarpieces by one of the most important painters of the time, the Spanish Juan Martínez Montañés, and has one of its chapels decorated with the twelve signs of the zodiac, being one of the few chapels in the world where astrological elements are represented.

The museum is another of its attractions, as it houses a collection of religious art and historical objects dating from colonial times to the present. The library is also a place of interest for visitors, as it has a large number of old books and manuscripts.

Although it has undergone some changes over the years, the building has maintained much of its original structure, withstanding tornadoes and earthquakes, and has been restored on several occasions. The convent remained closed during the Haitian occupation, and later different religious orders stayed in the building, until the Dominicans took possession of it in the mid-50s.

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