#1,111: Alameda Santa Rosa

According to my dashboard, today’s entry is number 1111. Go figure!

Alameda is the Spanish word for tree-line road or pathway. La Antigua Guatemala has three alamedas from its original drawn grid of 1543. The three alamedas are Alameda Santa Lucía, Alameda Santa Rosa and Alameda del Calvario. I believe this is the first time I show you Alameda Santa Rosa.

All three Alamedas represented the outer limits of Santiago de Guatemala, now known as La Antigua de Guatemala, for several centuries. Nowadays, all three Alamedas are inside the main grid or Historic Center of La Antigua Guatemala.

Most people do not know that the tree-lined street running up the El Calvario Church is an Alameda. Most people now call Alameda Santa Lucía as Calzada Santa Lucía even though there are no calzadas in La Antigua Guatemala.

Believe it or not what you call the Santa Lucí­a Street is the biggest controversy on this 6-block-long avenue. See, most people call it Calzada Santa Lucí­a; calzada is one of the Spanish words for paved avenue/street or road. Those who know and pay attention to the signage, would tell you there are no calzadas anywhere in La Antigua Guatemala. You should call it Alameda Santa Lucí­a; alameda being the Spanish word for a tree-lined street/throughway.

This controversy has gotten so big that spilled out of the 6-block avenue onto the rest of La Antigua Guatemala. Most cheap and poorly researched maps would have Alameda Santa Lucí­a as a Calzada. (… continue reading)

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