!!!Antigua

Photos by Stas Sedov and
Dmitry Moiseenko,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

12 September 2016

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Guatemala is an ancient country with a rich history leading to the epoch
of the great Maya civilization. In 1523 the Spanish conquerors led by
the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado came here. He became the first state
governor of Guatemala and settled down in the city, founded by himself —
Santiago de los Caballeros. But in 1541, the year when the conquistador
passed away, the city founded by him died too: it was destroyed by
landslides and streams of lava caused by the eruption of Agua volcano.

[{Image src='01_Antigua.jpg' caption='La Merced Church, Antigua Guatemala\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='504'}]

Authorities had to move the capital a little aside, and a new city was
also given the name Santiago de los Caballeros. For more than two
centuries it housed the residence of the General Captaincy of Guatemala
— that was the title for the administrative division of the Spanish
Empire between 1609 and 1821. The city witnessed the fascinating
prosperity and became the major center of the Spanish Empire between
Mexico and Lima.

[{Image src='02_Antigua.jpg' caption='La Merced Church, Antigua Guatemala\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='504'}]

In the 18th century its population counted around 60 thousand people, in
1676 a university started functioning in the city, and in 1660 the
book-printing was initiated here. But, unfortunately, the city suffered
continuous earthquakes, and in 1773 was practically destroyed. The
Spaniards had to change the location of the capital again, and in 1776
the main city of the country was moved to a safer location and was
christened Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción (or simply Guatemala). What
had remained of the badly damaged city of Santiago de los Caballeros was
thereafter referred to as Antigua Guatemala (the Old Guatemala).

[{Image src='03_Antigua.jpg' caption='Antigua Guatemala\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='504'}]

Eventually, many significant monuments of Antigua were restored and now
function as museums. And even though the city has lost the status of the
capital, it definitely can be named the main touristic city of the
country. In 1979 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site — one of
the first Sites on the territory of Latin America to be included in that
list.

[{Image src='04_Antigua.jpg' caption='Antigua Guatemala\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='394'}]

The heart of the city — the Central Park (Parque Central) with San
Joseph Parish (St. James Cathedral), the Captain General Palace, the
City Hall, the ruins of the Convent of the Capuchins, and one of the
most ancient temples of Antigua — the Church of Saint Francis built in
1579, are among major sights of the city. The building of the former
municipal prison today houses the Museo de Santiago, storing an
extensive collection of the colonial period items. The Museo del Libro
Antiguo is now located in the building where the first books of Central
America were printed.

[{Image src='05_Antigua.jpg' caption='La Merced Church, Antigua Guatemala\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='549'}]

Mountains and lakes surrounding Antigua create an incomparable
landscape. Three of thirteen volcanoes, rising above the western
outskirt of the city, are still active. Some of them are open for
visiting, and those people who live too far from these astonishing
places can have a look at it from above with the help of AirPano
panoramas.

\\ \\
[8 panoramas of Antigua|Geography/America/Guatemala/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Antigua]

[{SET customtitle='Antigua (AP)'}]












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