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My advice is to always carry a camera with you and I mean ALWAYS. You don’t know when you will get a photo opportunity like this one I had while going to a meeting in ruins of Las Capuchinas. In nearly seven years of documenting the life and architecture of Antigua Guatemala every day, I hadn’t had the chance or the access to photograph the inside of this ruins with such perfect conditions.
This is the humble entrance to the huge convent complex of Las Capuchinas, founded as Convento e Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza. This building is now a museum. Also, this is another architectural master piece by colonial architect Diego de Porres whom we talked about when we covered the Parroquia Nuestra Señora de los Remedios. You should ALWAYS follow the white rabbit.
P.S. Don´t forget to click on the images to view the large version where the details are so much better.
Pots and flowers are so typical of the rooftop terraces of Antigua Guatemala, present as often as you cupolas. Chayes are also found often. Chaye is the Guatemalan slang for broken glass. Lots of chayes are installed on top walls to discourage people who like to “borrow” the belongings of other people without asking. Follow the white rabbit to look at a very a good photograph of what chaye is.
Do you know what ruins are shown in the background of this picture?
If there ever it was a place where abandonment looks good that would be La Antigua Guatemala, which by the way is city taken out of 1773 and it is possible today because it was abandoned, or rather people were forced to abandon it.
Anyways, most of the ruins and old monasteries still looked abandoned, with cracks, broken arches, fallen down cupolas, rusted metalworks, chipped paint layers, et cetera. Basically, half the city looks like is in ruins and it is, but that’s precisely appealing architectonic aesthetics of La Antigua Guatemala, don’t you agree?
What other details would list as part of the architectonic aesthetics of abandonment of Antigua Guatemala?
Since Eric mentioned the fantasmas (ghosts) in the comments of San Agustín Ruins by Night, I figure I ought to share a ghost evoking image as a follow up.
La Antigua Guatemala is famous for being a town with many ghosts. I don’t know when La Antigua Guatemala became known for its ghosts and aparecidos, but I am sure it was sometime when its name was Santiago de Guatemala. Many people swear to have seen La Llorona (weeping lady), La Siguanaba, El Sombrerón and other such Guatemalan legendary characters.
Would you like me to do a series on the ghost and Guatemalan legendary characters?
I believe this is the second time I share a photo of Ruinas de San Agustín with you guys. Interesting enough, both images have been night photos. The first photo appear in Dramatic Illumination of San Agustín Ruins in June 2007. Comparing both images I noticed that back 2007 there were more spot lights illuminating this ruins. Also, I believe I did a better job back in 2007. 
An earthquake struck Guatemala on July 29, 1773 and had an estimated epicentral intensity magnitude of 7.5 Mi. It was followed by numerous aftershocks which lasted until December 1773. The series of all these earthquakes is also referred to as the Santa Marta earthquakes as it had started on the feast day of Saint Martha. With an intensity of approximately 7.5 the Santa Marta earthquakes destroyed much of Antigua Guatemala, at that time the colonial capital of Central America. About 500 – 600 people died immediately and at least another 600 died from starvation and disease as a result of the earthquake.
Spanish authorities had already considered moving the capital to a safer area after the devastation of the 1717 earthquake and decided after the 1773 event not to rebuild the city again. Thus in 1776 the capital was moved to the new city of Guatemala of Asuncion, known today as today Guatemala City. (source: Wikipedia)
Las ruinas de La Recolección still stand as they were left after the earthquake of July 29, 1773, thus the ruins served as testimony and document of the powerful forces the quakes of Santa Marta. It’s sort of Antigua Guatemala’s time capsule.
Have you visited the ruins of La Recolección?
...it feels sooo good to know that I'll be back in one of my favorite cities in the world !! ( though for me it's more like a nice little village actually, cause people are so kind and open, everyone says hello, you can always find strangers to chat with in Parque Central and when you're there for two weeks, you always seem to meet the same people all over town almost every day. I so love Antigua and reading your blog every day makes the time till the next vacation shorter ;o) ! —Jeannine
