Antigua Guatemala
Archaeology » Heritage sites» Antigua Guatemala
Location
Panchoy Valley

Country
Guatemala

Year of Research
1979

Culture
  • Antigua, the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, was founded in the early 16th century.

  • Built 1,500 m above sea-level, in an earthquake-prone region, it was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1773 but its principal monuments are still preserved as ruins.

  • In the space of under three centuries the city, which was built on a grid pattern inspired by the Italian Renaissance, acquired a number of superb monuments.