ANTIGUA GUATEMALA
There are magical places where you can feel
and experience the same story with all your senses; sight, smell, touch,
hearing and taste. One of these places is the city of Antigua Guatemala.
It was the third seat of the capital of the
so-called Kingdom of Guatemala which included the current States of Guatemala,
Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, as well as Chiapas
(Mexico).
As part of the trips I make every year to Guatemala
is wanting to re-discover with different vision places and special corners of
this country, this beautiful nation which has been very punished through out
history; earthquakes, floods, civil war, etc.
It became the third capital of the Kingdom of
Guatemala after the destruction by flooding of the second capital located in
the Valley of Almolonga, on the slopes of the Volcán de Agua (where had been
taken after leaving the first settlement in Iximché in 1527).
Since its foundation it was named Santiago de
los Caballeros, and 10 June 1566 King Felipe II extended the title "the
very noble and very loyal city of Santiago of the Caballeros de
Guathemala"during its development and splend our was known as one of the
three most beautiful cities of the Spanish Indies.
This city is now known as "La Antigua
Guatemala" because in the year 1773 during the celebrations of Santa Marta
was destroyed by a series of earthquakes which forced its inhabitants to move to
the Valley of the Hermitage, which is where is now located the city of
Guatemala.
Most of its buildings were of character
religious, which even in these days you can observe and admire since its
buildings are the old colonial style by what was considered one of the
most beautiful cities of the Spanish colony in America.
This city also is one of the universities most
oldest in Latin America, the University of San Carlos, becoming the third
University of America, also the heart of the city begins at the square knownas
Plaza Real or Central Square which is gorgeous and in whose centre is a
fountain built in 1739. This Cathedral to the North to the South the Trade
Portal, East City Hall and the General captains Palace West Palace
This "jewel of America", as it is
known today, was declared by UNESCO as Cultural Heritage in 1979, apart from
serving as capital of the fledgling Kingdom of the Spanish colonies in America
was also a place where religious orders built real architectural jewels such as
monasteries, churches and chapels all them in a style rich in Spanish
Renaissance architecture and Baroque façades.
From this, we have a few impressive remains
despite the series of earthquakes that has already suffered this city over the
last 300 years that Guatemala is located in a highly dangerous seismicair.
Walk on this trip and I walked and I was with
the small details, Antigua is a very quiet town but, due to the large influx of
tourists who come each year and foreign students coming to learn Spanish to a
wide variety of Spanish schools, has become it a vibrant city and it has a very
intense nightlife.
From the plaza mayor you can observe the
volcano of water as a witness of the blossoming and destruction of this city.
It is a jewel worthy to be visited and enjoy
its tranquility, its good and wonderful cuisine, stunning craftsmanship and
their houses in bright colors and lots of flowers
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