| Antigua Guatemala | |
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| Nickname: Antigua or La Antigua | |
  Antigua Guatemala
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  Guatemala |
| Department | Sacatepéquez |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | |
| Population (2002) | |
| - Total | 34,685 as of last census (2,007) |
La Antigua Guatemala (commonly referred to as just Antigua or La Antigua) is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Mudéjar-influenced[1] Baroque architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruined churches. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest |||} Guatemala is divided into 22 departments ( departamentos) Alta Verapaz Baja Verapaz Chimaltenango Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Mudéjar is the name given to the Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus, who remained in Christian territory after the Reconquista but were Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex
Antigua Guatemala serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. It also serves as the departmental capital of Sacatepéquez Department.
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Population
The city had a peak population of some 60,000 in the 1770s; the bulk of the population moved away in the late 18th century. Despite significant population growth in the late 20th century, the city had only reached half that number by the 1990s. According to the 2007 census, the city has some 34,685 inhabitants.
La Antigua Guatemala means the "Old Guatemala" and was the third capital of Guatemala. The first capital of Guatemala was founded on the site of a Cakchiquel-Maya city, now called Iximche, on July 25, 1524 -the day of Saint James- and called La Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de los Caballeros de Santiago de Goathemalan (The Very Noble and Very Loyal City of the Knights of Saint James of Guatemala). Iximché is a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Archaeological site in the western highlands of Guatemala. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Naturally, St. James became the patron saint of the city. After several Cakchiquel uprisings, the capital was moved to a more suitable site in the Valley of Almolonga on November 22, 1527, and kept its original name. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran When this city, now named Ciudad Vieja, was destroyed by a flood, the authorities decided to move once more, this time to the Valley of Panchoy. Ciudad Vieja is a Municipality in the Guatemalan department of Sacatepéquez. So, on March 10, 1543 the Spanish conquistadors founded present-day Antigua, and again, it was named Santiago de los Caballeros. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing For more than 200 years it served as the seat of the military governor of the Spanish colony of Guatemala, a large region that included almost all of present-day Central America and the southernmost State of Mexico: Chiapas. The Captaincy General of Guatemala (Capitanía General de Guatemala also known as the Kingdom of Guatemala (Spanish Reino de Guatemala) was an administrative division Chiapas is the southernmost state of Mexico, located towards the southeast of the country In 1566 King Felipe II of Spain gave it the title of"Muy Noble y Muy Leal" ("Very Noble and Very Loyal").
In 1773, a series of earthquakes destroyed much of the town, which led to the third change in location for the city. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer The Spanish Crown ordered (1776) the removal of the capital to a safer location, the Valley of the Shrine, where Guatemala City, the modern capital of Guatemala, now stands. Guatemala City (in full La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the Capital and largest city of the This new city did not retain its old name and was christened Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción (New Guatemala of the Ascension) and its patron saint is Our Lady of Ascension. The badly damaged city of Santiago de los Caballeros was ordered abandoned, although not everyone left, and was referred to as la Antigua Guatemala, or Old Guatemala.
Antigua today
| Antigua Guatemala* | |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| State Party |  Guatemala |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii, iv |
| Reference | 65 |
| Region† | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1979 (3rd Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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Central Park (Parque Central) is the heart of the city. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The reconstructed fountain there is a popular gathering spot. Off to the side of the Central Park, the Arco de Santa Catalina is among the many notable architectural landmarks of La Antigua.
La Antigua is noted for its very elaborate religious celebrations during Lent (Cuaresma), leading up to Holy Week (Semana Santa) and Easter. Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Holy Week ( Latin: Hebdomada Sancta or Maior Hebdomada, "Greater Week" in Christianity is the last week before Easter. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Each Sunday in Lent, one on the local parishes sponsor a Procession through the streets of Antigua. A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches A procession (via Middle English processioun, French procession, derived from Latin processio, itself from procedere, to go forth advance
There are many Spanish language schools located in Antigua.
Tourism is a major part of the local economy.
Important Ruins and other tourist attractions
- Church and Convent of Capuchins
- Cathedral of San José
- Ruins of old San José
- Old weapons Museum
- Church School of Christ
- Church of San Francisco
- Museum of Santo Domingo
- Museum of the Old Book (El Libro Antiguo)
- The Jade museum
Volcanoes
Three large volcanoes dominate the horizon around Antigua. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the
The most commanding, to the south of the city, is the Volcán de Agua or "Volcano of Water", some 3766 meters (12,356 ft) high. Volcán de Agua is a Stratovolcano located in the department of Sacatepéquez in Guatemala. When the Spanish arrived, the inhabitants of the zone, Cakchiquel Mayas, called it Hunapú (and they still do). However, it became known as Volcán de Agua after a mudslide from the volcano buried the second site of the capital, which prompted the Spanish authorities to move the capital to present-day Antigua. The original site of the 2nd capital is a village now known as "Ciudad Vieja", ("The Old City").
To the west of the city are a pair of peaks, Acatenango, last erupted in 1972, some 3976 meters (13045 ft) high, and the Volcán de Fuego or "Volcano of Fire", some 3763 meters (12346 ft) high. Acatenango is a Stratovolcano in Guatemala, close to the city of Antigua. Fuego redirects here For the car see Renault Fuego. For the Marvel Comics villain see Fuego (comics Volcán de Fuego ("Volcano "Fuego" is famous for being almost constantly active at a low level. Smoke issues from its top daily, but larger eruptions are rare.
Notes
External links
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