Ruins of some historical buildings in the colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala

Antigua, Guatemala – 2016. Antigua, Guatemala was founded by the Spanish conquistadors in 1543 and was the seat of the military governor of the Spanish colony of Guatemala until 1773 when it was hit by a devastating earthquake which destroyed many its buildings. Some were rebuilt and some remain in their ruined state. I visited San Francisco el Grande on a site where there has been a church structure since the 15 hundreds. The site was abandoned after the 1773 earthquake and the church was rebuilt in the 1960s. Next to the church are the ruins of the old Franciscan monastery which included a library and a hospital. I also visited the Hermitage and school of Saint Jeronimo. Construction began in 1739 and was completed in 1757 then closed in 1761 because it had been built without the authorization of the crown. In 1765 it became the royal Custom House. Most of these buildings were badly damaged in the 1773 earthquake.

San Francisco el Grande. Destroyed in 1773 and rebuilt in the 1960s. Antiqua, Guatemala

The entrance to the ruins of the old Franciscan monastery next to San Francisco el Grande, Antiqua, Guatemala

The old Franciscan monastery next to San Francisco el Grande, Antiqua, Guatemala

The Rear of the church and convent of the Society of Jesus – First built in the 1690s and rebuilt a number of times due to earthquake damage. Antiqua,…

The front of the church and convent of the Society of Jesus – First built in the 1690s and rebuilt a number of times due to earthquake damage. Antiqua,…

The Rear of the church and convent of the Society of Jesus – First built in the 1690s and rebuilt a number of times due to earthquake damage. Antiqua, Guatemala

St. Jerome church and school, Antiqua, Guatemala