History

Antigua was the final attempt by Pedro de Alvarado to set up a royal capital in the Kingdom of Guatemala. His first capital was built in 1524 near the Maya site of Iximché, but the fierce Cakchiquel warriors chased him out of the region. His next choice was at the foot of the Agua Volcano in the Panchoy Valley. After establishing the new capital, Alvarado left for battle in Mexico, where he was promptly killed. His wife took over as governor and, just a few weeks later, the entire city was buried under an avalanche of lava, mud and rocks. On March 10, 1543, Antigua was selected as the location for another new capital. By royal decree, the official name was The Very Loyal and Very Noble City of the Knights of Saint James of Guatemala, Muy Leal y Muy Noble Ciudad de Santiago de los Caballeros de Goathemala. It was a rather pretentious title for a settlement built out of straw, bricks and mud.

Antigua grew into its name. Important architects and artists were invited to come and build in Antigua, and the capital grew as the Spaniards extended their kingdom from the north into Chiapas Mexico and down into Honduras and El Salvador. When the first printing press arrived in 1660, Antigua quickly became the kingdom’s cultural center. At the same time, Bishop Payo Enríquez started the first publishing house that became famous for its literary achievements. One of its first books, The True Story of the Conquest of New Spain, written in 1670 by Bernal Diaz, is still in print today. In 1676 the first university in Central America was opened. The Royal and Pontifical University of San Carlos remains a prestigious university today.

The first series of earthquakes hit between 1651 to 1663, with a final devastating quake in 1666. But these were simply a warm up for the major earthquake of 1669 that destroyed most of the city. By then, Antigua was considered the heart and soul of the Guatemalan kingdom and rebuilding began immediately. The new construction was of a different nature, though. From 1699 to 1707, Antigua became a spiritual center, attracting a number of religious orders from Europe. Soon, friars, monks, priests and nuns arrived and began building cathedrals, churches and convents. Diego de Porres, a famous colonial architect, was hired to work on many of the buildings and his work transformed the mud-andstraw city into one of the most beautiful in Central America. Anumber of the churches and convents were finished just in time for the devastating earthquake of 1717 when, once again, Antigua was razed. And, once again, the citizens started rebuilding.

By 1770, in addition to a beautiful cathedral of ornate Spanish-baroque architecture and an impressive government palace, Antigua had over 30 churches, 18 convents and monasteries, 15 hermitages, 10 chapels, five hospitals, an orphanage, four parks and a university. There were municipal water and sewer systems too. Sadly, residents didn’t have much time to enjoy the city’s golden age.

On July 29, 1773 the savage Santa Marta earthquakes hit and the city was destroyed yet again. But this time city officials refused to rebuild and instead petitioned the King of Spain for permission to move the capital to the Ermita Valley. In 1776 La Nueva Guatemala de la Ascencion, known today as Guatemala City, became the country’s new capital. Antigua gradually became a ghost town as government officials, wealthy families and all the religious orders abandoned the city in favor of the new capital. Only the very poor were left behind and, to survive, these Antigüeños moved into the ruined houses and churches left behind. In 1779, to add insult to injury, Antigua was officially demoted and became merely the capital of the Sacatepéquez Department.

During the 18th century, Antigua was largely ignored. Some restoration work was done on the cathedral and university, but the majority of the city buildings were left alone. But being overlooked actually saved Antigua. Its buildings were not torn down or replaced by more modern buildings, as happened in Guatemala City. In 1944, President Jorge Ubico declared Antigua a National Monument, ending almost 165 years of benign neglect. Restoration began on the city and, in 1965, the Pan American Institute of Geography and History named it the “Monumental City of the Americas.”

In 1969 La Antigua and the National Council for the Protection of Antigua Guatemala (Consejo Nacional para la Protección de Antigua Guatemala) was established to oversee restoration work. Antigua passed through the 1976 earthquake with very little damage, while other parts of the country, including the capital, were severely hit. In 1979, UNESCO chose Antigua as a Cultural Heritage of Mankind Site.

This was all the recognition the city needed to blossom into a major tourist attraction. Ironically, Guatemala City has never achieved the same splendor as Antigua and is actually considered to be one of the ugliest capitals in the world. Religious celebrations remain the focus in Antigua. Semana Santa (Easter Week) attracts visitors from all over the globe, who come to witness the most colorful celebration of Easter in the Western Hemisphere.