Antigua Ruins, Antigua Guatemala

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The facade of this ruined church is unique because of the fresco work that is still visible with fairly vibrant and sometimes faint coloring. The original organization here included a convent, school, and the church and was founded in 1582. In 1767 the Jesuitas were forced to leave the country and the buildings were vacant until a textile factory opened up shop here in the 19th century.

As with other structures of the time, La Compania de Jesus suffered from the series of major earthquakes in the 17th and 18th centuries. Reconstructions continued until the great earthquake of 1773. Following the textile factory, public offices were established here and at one point the Mercado de Artesanias was also located here. The former convent portion of the building is currently (2007) used as is the seat of the Center of Formation of the Spanish Cooperation. Visitors can go in and see the restored areas of the convent which from photos I've seen since my trip it would be well worth seeing.

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Antigua is a great town to walk around it as is compact and built on a grid pattern. As one walks around the visitor will pass many church ruins, the result of a major earthquake in 1773 which led to the relocation of the colonial capital from Antigua to Guatemala City. Many of these churches were never restored or reopened, with gigantic pieces of the fallen structure still lying where they fell over 200 years ago.

San Agustin is one such church and like many that haven't been restored it is fenced off and closed to the public. However the facade like many of the 18th century churches is interesting even if many of the sculpted figures have long since been removed.

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Located behind the Catedral de Santiago. The 17th century cathedral was destroyed by the earthquake in 1773. The ruins have an almost ancient Rome quality to them - the architectural spaces are more defined by the partial arches and walls.

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This is a huge church and monastery complex in ruins, inaugurated in 1717 and felled in 1773. It is spectacular. The cost of the entrance is a bit steep at 40 Quetzales. Residents can get in for much less, and besides me - the sole visitor - there were many young couples engaged in gallant discourse among the many nooks and alcoves.

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Don't expect the opulence of Cuzco's cathedral. The Catedral is rather bland inside. The facade is beautiful and it dominates the central square. Today's cathedral is a fraction of the original complex, which was destroyed during numerous earthquakes. You can visit the wrecked remains of the rest of the structure. Worth snooping for, behind the altar, are steps leading down to a little black crypt.

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From an architectural standpoint, the ruins of the Santa Clara church and convent might not be particularly impressive, but the gardens stand out as a great place to see and photograph a good selection of the many beautiful flowers that call Antigua Guatemala home.

The Santa Clara church, which can be perfectly observed from the street, without having to pay the entrance fee to the convent, isn't on the whole terribly interesting, but it does have its artistic flourishes here and there.

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The San Jerónimo school had a short and somewhat tumultuous existence. Built between 1739 and 1757, the school was closed down by Spanish King Carlos III because it lacked his royal approval. From 1765 until 1773 (when it was destroyed by earthquakes), the former school served as the royal customs house. Although the guidebook I have describes these ruins as "spectacular," I found them to be the least interesting of the four monuments that are maintained by the "Consejo Nacional para la Protección de la Antigua Guatemala." The gardens that surround the ruins of the Colegio de San Jerónimo might be more impressive than the ruins themselves

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The construction of Las Capuchinas, more formally known as the "Iglesia y Convento de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza," was completed on January 25, 1736. The nuns who called this convent home were prohibited from having any visual contact with the outside world; they received their food by means of a turntable and they could only speak to visitors through a grill. The convent's most distinguishing feature is a circular structure containing the eighteen cells that served as the living quarters for the nuns who resided there. The convent's courtyard, its arched corridors, its exterior gardens, and its small collection of colonial-era religious statues and relics are also worth taking a look at.

The second picture attached to this tip, of the entrances to the nuns' tiny cells, shows that apparently there wasn't much difference between being sent off to a colonial convent and being sent off to a medieval prison.