Guatemala City
Central and East, Guatemala
Vibrant, cosmopolitan and fast paced, Guatemala City is a distinct blend of old and new combined with Latin charm. The city is a maze of streets full of fascinating historical treasures like the National Palace, the Presidential Palace, the Holy Cathedral and the Plaza Mayor. Its wide variety of art galleries and museums offer the traveller an abundance of cultural activities as well as a chance to experience the Latin way of life and sample the bars and restaurants in the city’s Zona Viva!
Background
The Mayan civilization dominated throughout much of Guatemala and the surrounding region until they were invaded by the Spanish in 1523-24. Guatemala City became the 3rd colonial capital in 1776 after an earthquake destroyed the former capital, Antigua. Although the capital was founded at the end of the colonial era, it kept its design of a Spanish colonial city. Its architecture was dominated by neo-classicism with the ecclesiastical buildings built around the Plaza Mayor and the church taking possession of 60% of the city's central sector. Limited by lack of money and workers, many of the new buildings were built with materials salvaged from old Antigua.
The Conservative Government came to power in 1855, and during its reign, many church buildings were constructed, as were two military forts, for use during the Central American civil wars. The city was given a facelift by the liberal Government, with the President Jose María Reyna Barrios taking Paris as his model and creating 21 zones, with zone 1 being the historical centre. In the 1950s, many of the modern buildings were constructed and over the years new architectural styles have appeared.