This month's World Heritage Site

Antigua - Guatemala's Captivating Former Capital

By Toni Dabbs

Santa Catalina Arch, one of Antigua's major landmarks, originally was part of a convent, constructed in 1606. Photo by Toni Dabbs

As the capitol of Guatemala from 1543 to 1773, Antigua was one of the most important cities in Latin America and one of the most elegant cities in the Spanish empire. Today, it is clean, quiet and colorful, and manages to maintain an air of dignity though much of its former glory lies in ruins.

When Antigua's founders built the city in a green valley with a mild climate, rich soil and abundant water, the setting might have seemed perfect. . .but it proved to be dangerous.

The surrounding "mountains" were actually volcanoes, and seismic activity repeatedly damaged Antigua. Citizens continually rebuilt their beloved city until a massive earthquake caused such devastation that, finally discouraged, they moved their capital to the site of the present Guatemala City, 25 kilometers (16 miles) northeast.

Antigua was never totally abandoned, just dramatically reduced in size. Residents who chose to stay began repairing some of the city's major landmarks, including the cathedral on the Central Plaza, the Santa Catalina Arch, and the pretty La Merced church, which resembles a Wedgwood ornament, with white relief decoration of vines, urns and figures contrasting against its yellow walls.

However, many of the 38 Catholic churches, convents and monasteries were left in shambles, no longer needed by the decreased population. Construction materials were salvaged from some sites for use in other buildings, but otherwise the colonial remains were left as they fell.

Today, an active restoration program is returning many a ruin to its original appearance, if not its original purpose. UNESCO designated Antigua both a World Heritage Site and a Monument of the Americas, so strict guidelines are enforced.

With the danger of earthquakes still very real, houses in Antigua are mainly simple single-story structures, but their stucco facades are painted delicious shades of mango, papaya and chocolate, or jewel tones of amber, jade and turquoise. Traffic on the narrow cobblestone streets is light and virtually everything is within eight blocks of the Central Plaza, making walking a pleasant way to explore the city.

The plaza itself, or Parque Central, is a popular gathering place and a center of business. In addition to the cathedral on its east side, it has the original 1543 double-arcaded facade of the Palace of the Captain-Generals (Palacio de los Capitanes) on its south and the ornate 1743 Town Hall (Palacio del Ayuntamiento) on its north.

Within the Town Hall is Museo de Santiago, a small museum of colonial furnishings, artifacts and weapons. Next door, where the first printing press in Central America was installed in 1660, is the Museo del Libro Antiguo (Museum of Old Books), featuring displays of colonial printing and binding.

One of the first institutes of academia in the Americas was the Universidad de San Carlos (University of San Carlos), established a half block east of Parque Central in 1687. Once a magnet for international scholars, it now houses the Museo de Arte Colonial (Museum of Colonial Art), where exhibits depict everyday life and learning in 18^th-century Guatemala.

A few blocks north of Parque Central is Antiqua’s signature Arco de Santa Catalina. The arch, which spans 5a Avenida Norte, originally was part of a church and convent built in 1606. Beyond it is the Iglesia y Convento de Nuestra Senora La Merced (Church and Convent of Our Lady of Mercy), known simply as La Merced.

A paragon of colonial architecture 

Although La Merced church dates from 1552, its elaborate  churriquereseque decoration was applied as part of a 19th centruy restoration project. Photo by Toni Dabbs

Built in 1552, La Merced is the most striking example of colonial architecture in Antigua. Churrigueresque decoration applied as part of a 19^th-century renovation project covers its exterior, which includes massive columns and statues of saints in niches.

One of the best preserved monuments in Antigua is Iglesia y Convento de Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Zaragoza, usually called Las Capuchinas, founded in 1736 by nuns from Madrid. Though beautiful in its design, the convent exhibits some of the less attractive aspects of religious life in colonial times, such as the Tower of Retreat, a ring of 18 cells opening onto a central circular patio, where nuns did penance for their transgressions with prayer and self-mortification.

With its rich legacy, Antigua is a favorite getaway for residents of congested Guatemala City, who frequently drive there on Sundays to lunch, shop and enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere.

A popular place to eat is the garden-side dining room of Posada de Don Rodrigo, which specializes in Guatemalan dishes. Restaurant Dona Luisa Xicotencatl, a plant-filled courtyard overlooked by balcony dining rooms, is more casual, featuring sandwiches made with bread baked on the premises. Café Condesa, set on the patio of an opulent Spanish mansion built in 1549, offers stylish snacks and excellent Antigua coffee.

Antigua is noted for its traditional dulces, or sweets, made from recipes developed in the old convent kitchens and shared with the women of the community, who passed them along to their daughters. Of all the sweet shops found in the city, the best known is Dona Maria Gordillo Dulces Tipicos. Dona Maria inherited the business from her mother Dona Mercedes, who had obtained the recipes from Sister Dolores Ortiz in 1872. Customers are primarily Guatemalans, with the best selling sweet being a gooey coconut confection.

Local residents do most of their everyday shopping at the busy Municipal Market on the west side of the city, but some shops on its perimeter are stocked with Guatemalan arts and crafts for tourists who wander that far from the Central Plaza.

Visitors smitten by the brilliant colors and intricate designs of Guatemalan textiles will find the finest selection in the heart of the city at Nim Po't, a retail museum of traditional Maya dress and an indigenous consignment store. Because top weavers from throughout the highlands of Guatemala produce items for the combination gallery and shop, it provides a comprehensive overview of native clothing. Prices are high, but so is the quality.

For visitors making more than a day trip to Antigua, Casa Santo Domingo blends a monastery, dating from 1642, with new construction to create a luxury hotel and conference center. At night, stone cloisters where Dominican friars once walked are lit only by candles. A small museum within the expansive grounds houses artifacts excavated on site.