Antigua, Guatemala

Our first trip here was to Antigua, Guatemala. 

This is the district headquarters for a portion of Guatemala involving seven churches under the stewardship of Pr Perez.  It also serves as the home for the superintendent.  This area goes back many years and was at one time the homes of wealthy persons.

This is a street in Antigua, Guatemala.  A volcano is partially visible in the distance.  The city of Antigua, capital of Sacatepéquez Province, Guatemala, is a charming old colonial city that for many years was the political, religious and economic heart of Central America.

The time of European settlement began in 1523 in the area of the Mayan civilization which had diminished by that time.  It was originally called the “City of the Knights of St. James of Guatemala.”  Lacking in mineral wealth, it instead was a trading center between the mineral centers in Mexico and Peru.  It became the capital of Guatemala and many Catholic orders had buildings there. 

This is the church of San José.  It was on one side of the central plaza. 

The interior.

This was the government center on the plaza.  An arts building and a market completed the square.

This fountain is in the center of the plaza.  

In 1773, a series of major earthquakes leveled the city, destroying most of the buildings, even the ones which had been well built. Thousands were killed, and the region was ultimately abandoned and the capital relocated to Guatemala City.  Ironically, “new” Guatemala City would be pummeled by a major earthquake in 1917: Antigua largely escaped damage.

Constructed in 1736, Capuchinas was the last female convent in the city.  Its true name was Our Lady of the Pillar of Saragossa. 

The architectural complex was the work of Diego de Porres, a great architect of Antigua, Guatemala.

This was the laundry room in the convent. Clothes were pounded clean in the four sinks, and rinsed with water trapped in the cistern.

There is a chamber below ground level that has fantastic acoustics.

There were plans for a wedding in the hall below in the evening. Sue is carrying her gift from our hosts.