La Antigua Guatemala Declared First Cultural
City
President Oscar Berger's government declared La Antigua Guatemala as the
First Cultural City of the country, on the 462th anniversary of its
foundation, an official source reported Friday.
With a program including marimba music, the screening of a documentary,
and theater and dance shows, the authorities granted the distinction to
the main tourist destination in Guatemala, 45 kilometers southwest of
the capital, Guatemala City.
On March 10, Guatemala celebrates the anniversary of transferring the
colonial city from the Almolonga Valley (now the Old City) to the
Panchoy Valley, in 1543, after it was destroyed in 1541.
The distinction was bestowed at the City Council Palace's Main Hall, but
the celebration took place in various places in the city, which has been
declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.
La Antigua Guatemala was originally named Santiago de los Caballeros de
Guatemala and was the Capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala for more than
200 years. At that time, the region embraced almost all of Central
America until the earthquakes of Santa Marta devastated the city in
1773, forcing the move to its current location in Valle de la Ermita.
Called Antigua by the Guatemalans, the area is the most popular tourist
destination, and the most attractive and prominent cultural centre of
the Central American nation.
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