The Santa Catalina Arch is a symbol of the city of Antigua Guatemala in Guatemala. It was built at the end of the 17th century in order to allow uninterrupted traffic between the two parts of the monastery on either side of the street through the corridor inside it, which was not allowed to appear in public.
Construction began in 1693 and was completed the following year. Although damaged several times during the earthquakes (such as the 1773 earthquake that destroyed the city), it is still in excellent structural condition today. In 1890, a small tower was built on top of it, where a French-made Lamy Amp Lacroix clock was placed. This gate shows the time on both sides.
The Arco de Santa Catalina is one of the most recognized monuments in the city of Antigua Guatemala, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Currently, the building houses the Hotel Convento de Santa Catalina Mártir, and the street is popularly known as Rua do Arco. In her, the end of the year and the arrival of the new year are celebrated, with a variety of cultural spectacles that go from music, poetry and stories, to traditional dances.
Access : Coordinates: 14.559722, -90.734167 / The Santa Catalina Arch is a monument located on 5a Avenida Norte in Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala.
Highlights :
- In the 17th century, Antigua Guatemala was the capital of Guatemala at the time, called Santiago de los Caballeros. The first convent, the Concepción, proved to be small for the growing number of nuns by this century, so the city leadership designated an area two blocks north of the main square where St. Catherine’s Convent was built.
- The Arch of Santa Catalina is one of the most recognized places in the city of Antigua Guatemala. It is visited annually by thousands of tourists who flock to the city that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
- The city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala, whose official and historical name is Very Noble and Very Loyal City of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala and popularly known today as Antigua Guatemala, is the head of the homonymous municipality and the department of Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. It is located approximately 25 kilometers west of the capital of the Republic of Guatemala.The city was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Go next : Explore Antigua Guatemala , a city in the central highlands of Guatemala , The colonial city was declared a national monument of Guatemala in 1944, recognized as a cultural heritage of North America in 1965 and since 1979 Antigua has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
