The city of Santiago de Los Caballeros de Guatemala was founded July 25, 1524 by the Conqueror of Guatemala, Pedro de Alvarado. The Italian Antonelli made its urban design in 1543. The first printing press arrived in 1660 and today at the Museum of the Book some books dating from the XVI and IXX centuries can be found along with copies of other works printed there. In 1678 the third university to be opened in Latin America was founded: the Royal and Pontifical University of San Carlos of Borromeo. In 1729 one of the first newspapers of the Americas appears: the Guatemalan Gazette. The Central Park fountain, called the Mermaid Fountain, was built in the XVIII century. During its apogee in the XVIII century, the city had 50,000 inhabitants. The Santa Marta earthquake and political issues forced its abandonment between 1773 - 1776. UNESCO declared Antigua Guatemala a World Heritage site in 1979.

At a first glance the city of Antigua looks to have been abandoned due to the earthquake of Santa Marta that occurred July 29, 1773 and the capital transferred to the New Guatemala de la Asunción. The principal reason why the capital was transferred was political since once before an earthquake in 1717 had damaged it but this disaster, instead of causing its abandonment, generated a tremendous boom in construction without precedent. The government wished to diminish the influence the church had over it and reduce its economic power. Through the years religious orders had acquired a huge amount of property in Antigua Guatemala, which made them extremely rich and powerful since merchants, politicians, common people, etc., either had to pay rent or acquire property from them. What better way to take away wealth and power from the church than move the capital to a place where the church had no property and at the same time reduce the value of that which it possessed? At the beginning there was resistance and as an incentive and to speed up the pace, several buildings were totally or partially demolished until the inhabitants became convinced that it was in their benefit to move to the new city.

Antigua has many characteristics that endear it which the visitor. The streets were covered with cobblestones, not to ruin the suspension of cars or break the heels of high heeled shoes as many residents and visitors suspect, because during colonial times cobble stoning streets was a defense mechanism….shod horses cannot run over cobblestones: when they try to run they slip and slide endangering themselves as well as their riders. On some old big entryway doors you might observe doorknockers too high to use. These doorknockers were designed to be used by horse riders and not by very tall people or placed there by recluses that did not appreciate visitors. The ornamental balconies, made out of iron or wood, are beautiful reminders of a time when gallant men visited their beloved and talked to them and gave them serenades through the bars.

Antigua is a beautiful city with many places to visit and activities to do all year but for Holy Week, it dresses in its finest. Thousands of people from around the world, motivated by faith and a feeling of adventure, travel to see processions considered the most impressive and extravagant of Latin America. Devout persons labor long hours making rugs out of sawdust of different colors, flowers, pine, leaves, small ceramic pieces, etc., all along the streets where the procession will pass. The Cucuruchos (men, women and children of all ages), as the penitents that carry the floats are called due to the conical hat they wear, dress in the color of their order: purple, black, white and red. The floats are really impressive made out of fine woods, with allegorical designs that change year to year, sculptures dating from colonial times made by renowned master carvers, flowers, plants, lights, etc. Floats weight up to 3.5 tons needing 80 men to carry them. Behind the float goes the band playing sad notes that help the penitents keep rhythm followed by a large crowd of people that accompany it along its route. In front of the float walk the incense burners filling the street with smoke and fragrance giving the procession a medieval touch, especially at night.