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Antigua is a beautiful old city which served as the capital of Guatemala from 1543 until 1776. The city had been destroyed in 1773 by a massive earthquake, and in 1776, the capital was moved to its present location of Guatemala City. Considered by many as one of the most beautiful cities in all of Central America, it has a dramatic setting at the foot of three volcanoes. After a full day of sightseeing in Antigua, we spent the following day climbing Volcan Pacaya, which is the only volcano near Antigua that is active.
The Cathedral de Santiago, upon which construction began in 1542, was largely ruined in the 1773 earthquake. While the front part of the Cathedral has been restored, most of the Cathedral continues to lie in partial ruin.
What was once a magnificently decorated dome, is now a sky light. Much of the cathedral looked like this: skeletal, but largely without a roof and pillars. Despite this, the Cathedral was a beautiful example of colonial architecture.
We also visited the Casa Popenoe, a mansion built in 1636. This too was ruined by the earthquake of 1773, but was restored by Sr. Popenoe to give an authentic glimpse of aristocratic life in the 1600s. This is a view of a back courtyard, including what was then, and now, the equivalent of a washing machine.
In another part of Antigua, Guatemalans wash their clothes in a similar fashion. Each washing area consists of a cement, rectangular basin, that drains at the bottom into a larger common pool. The clothes are washed by scrubbing them in the basin and rinsing them with water.
Antigua has numerous churches and cathedrals. For example, here is the Iglesia San Francisco, which dates from the mid-1500s. As with the other structures in Antigua, this structure has suffered considerable damage from the many earthquakes that plagued the city,
At a church and convent commonly referred to as Las Capuchinas, Kelly invokes the Lord's help so that she can endure being with Rich 24 /7.
A fountain in the central courtyard at Las Capuchinas. Las Capuchinas was founded in 1736 by nuns from Madrid, Spain.
We found the most beautiful church facade to be La Merced. The yellow and white baroque facade actually dates from the mid-1800s, when further repairs were made to this church that originally was built in 1694.
Volcanoes can be seen from all around Antigua, and give Antigua a rather remarkable setting. Here, Volcan Agua can be seen through the Arco de Santa Catarina.
The Arco de Santa Catarina, a famous Antigua landmark.
Continue to see photos of the dangerous Volcan Pacaya, which, by the way, has erupted since our visit.
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