Providing an outstanding example of a building type, architectural or technological ensemble, or landscape that illustrates a significant stage in human history was one of the criteria considered by UNESCO. During 2021, it was one of the most tagged places in Latin America on Instagram, according to Travel and Leisure.
Taken from the official portal
The city of Antigua Guatemala was the third capital that the Spanish established after a catastrophic flood that the second capital called Valle de Almolonga suffered on September 11, 1541.
This third capital was established in 1543, and named City of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala in 1566.
The earthquakes of 1773 almost completely destroyed it. Despite having been an outlawed city, abandoned to make way for a new capital, its inhabitants gradually breathed new life into the city that is now one of Guatemala's major tourist attractions. Its colonial architecture still retains its character, as if time had stood still.
Antigua Guatemala in History
After Christopher Columbus's discoveries, the Spanish Crown became interested in the riches of Mesoamerica. These unexplored lands motivated the Spanish to embark on an adventure to conquer and settle in this new world. Twenty years after Columbus's arrival, Spanish ships had anchored in several locations in the Americas, including Guatemala and Mexico.
Hernán Cortés, accompanied by a large group of Spaniards, entered Mexican lands; from there he sent one of his captains—Pedro de Alvarado—to explore and conquer the territory further south. The conquistador arrived in the Mayan lands with an army of Spaniards and allied warriors from Mexico, the first being the K'iche' Kingdom, which they invaded and conquered.
Pedro de Alvarado envisioned founding a city as a center of government for the territories conquered and dominated by the Spanish Crown. Ixmiché was the city of the Kaqchikel Lordship, and in 1524, this city was chosen to establish the capital, naming it "La Villa de Santiago de Guatemala.".
The Maya of this city rose up in arms because they disagreed with the tributes that the Spanish demanded of them, forcing the conquerors to look for a new place for the city.
On November 22, 1527, Jorge de Alvarado founded the new city in the Almolonga Valley, at the foot of the Agua Volcano, naming it "Santiago de Guatemala." Shortly thereafter, due to a flood caused by a landslide from the slopes of the Agua Volcano, the city was left in ruins; the authorities decided to relocate the city to a safer location, the Panchoy Valley.
In 1543, the city was settled for the third time with the name "Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala," becoming an important city in that colonial era, an economic, political, religious and educational center; framing the Hispanic period with a Captaincy General, encompassing territory from Chiapas, Mexico, to Costa Rica.
In 1773, the Santa Marta earthquakes destroyed the city, forcing its relocation to a new site. The Valley of the Virgin, also known as La Ermita or Las Vacas, became the location of the new settlement. In 1776, the city was named "New Guatemala of the Assumption," its present location.
Antigua Guatemala, World Heritage City
The city of Antigua Guatemala safeguards historical elements, highlighting its architectural and cultural beauty, attributes that on October 26, 1979, deserved recognition from UNESCO, an organization that, within its powers, seeks to save and maintain heritage, stimulating the creation and conservation of cultural entities.
UNESCO Appointment Criteria
To be included on the World Heritage List, a site must have outstanding universal value and must meet at least one of 10 selection criteria; Antigua Guatemala met 3 of them:
II. To bear witness to an important exchange of human values over a period of time or within a cultural area of the world, in the development of architecture or technology, monumental arts, urban planning or landscape design.
III. To provide a unique or at least exceptional testimony of a cultural tradition or of a civilization that exists or has disappeared.
IV: To offer an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape, that illustrates a significant stage in human history.
Today, the city preserves vestiges of its colonial era in every street. Its architecture is framed by the natural beauty of the three volcanoes that surround it; its culture, gastronomy, climate, and the warmth of its people complement it, making it one of the most visited cities in Central America.
