Antigua: A City Shaped by Earthquakes, Antigua, Guatemala

Antigua, or Antigua Guatemala to give it its full name, is a city shaped by the movement of the earth on which it stands. It was founded in 1543 and despite the ravages of several earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it was for over 200 years the capital and economic centre of the whole Kingdom of Guatemala. This was a significant country, covering what today we know as southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

But in 1773 came the most destructive of all the earthquakes, the Santa Marta; much of the city’s political and religious infrastructure was destroyed. A proposal was drawn up to move the capital for a third time; and despite some opposition, in 1775 a royal letter was written to order the foundation of a new capital (today’s Guatemala City).

Left largely in ruins the city might perhaps have crumbled away completely; but enough fabric and people remained to keep it alive. Today it is a National Monument, and it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979.

At its heart is an almost perfect grid of streets and avenues, each of them a gem. They are lined with picturesque houses, many single storey because of the constant threat from the forces of nature, and dotted with the skeletons of those ruined colonial churches. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).