Churches

In 1773 Antigua was filled with churches, monasteries, convents and other monuments. In June 1773 a series of earthquakes rocked the city and destroyed most of these structures. The clergy and residents abandoned their churches and convents and left them all in ruins. Many of those buildings were never revived and still lie in ruins. Few others were renovated and used as museums, private residences and commercial establishments. Just a handful of them have retained their flavor and still serve as churches.

La Merced

The original church of La Merced was build between 1543 and 1546. But was reconstructed and renovated several times after being destroyed by a series of earthquakes. La Merced as it stands today was completed in 1767 and is an excellent example of the baroque style that was dominant in Antigua in the 18th century. Some repairs to the church were made in the 1850s. Next to the church are the ruins of the convent. In its central courtyard, the largest fountain in Guatemala can be found. It was build in the 18th century and measures 27 meters in diameter.

The interior of the church is formed by three naves flanked by isles on each side. The church was stripped of most of its original decorations including guilded altarpieces as they were all moved to the church of La Merced in Guatemala City.

San Francisco

The construction of this church and its adjacent convent began in 1542 by the Franciscan order. The buildings could not survive the many earthquakes. The San Francisco church as it stands today was constructed at the end of the 18th century. More restoration and repairs have since been made including the concrete reinforcement added in 1961 that protected the church from suffering serious damage in the 1976 earthquake. The convent was one of the largest in Antigua and had space for up to 80 clergymen.

Las Capuchinas

Nuns from Madrid founded the Las Capuchinas in 1736. It too was destroyed by earthquakes and stood in ruins for a long time until it was restored and converted into a museum. The building has an unusual structure of 18 concentric cells around a circular patio. The theme of the museum is the religious life in colonial times with books, manuscripts, paintings, furniture and other articles of the 18th and 19th century.

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