Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, Antigua Guatemala Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Captain General Palace
Palacio de los Capitanes Generales Casas Reales Palacio Real
Palace in 1979
General information
Location	Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Coordinates	14°33′21″N 90°44′02″W / 14.55583°N 90.73389°W / 14.55583; -90.73389
Construction started	1755
Completed	1764
Renovated	1890
Demolished	1773

The Captain General Palace, or Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, is a large building located in the Central Square of Antigua Guatemala. It is a very important historical site. Today, it serves as the main office for the Guatemala Institute of Tourism. It also houses the Antigua Tourism Association and the local government offices. You can also find the National Museum of Guatemalan Art inside.

History of the Palace
- Earthquakes and Rebuilding
  - The 1717 Earthquake
  - The 1751 and 1773 Earthquakes
After the Capital Moved
Gallery
See also

History of the Palace

The first two-story building in this spot was built in 1558. It had a wooden floor and strong arches. This building was the center of power for the General Captaincy of Guatemala. All the government, administrative, and military offices were located here. The person in charge, called the General Captain, lived a very fancy life.

Building the Captain General's home and offices began in 1558. The building also held the Royal Tax office, a jail, and army headquarters. There were even stables for horses and storage rooms. By 1678, the Palace was a full two-story building. It had a grand wooden main entrance and tall columns.

Earthquakes and Rebuilding

The city of Santiago de los Caballeros, where the Palace stood, faced many strong earthquakes. These natural disasters often damaged the Palace.

The 1717 Earthquake

A big earthquake in 1717, known as the San Miguel earthquake, hit the city hard. The Royal Palace suffered damage to its rooms and walls. After this earthquake, leaders thought about moving the city. They wanted to find a safer place, away from earthquakes. However, the people of the city did not want to move. They even went to the Palace to protest. The city stayed, but soldiers were needed to calm everyone down.

Diego de Porres, a master builder, repaired the Palace. He finished the work by 1720. He also made more improvements that lasted until 1736.

The 1751 and 1773 Earthquakes

Another strong earthquake, the San Casimiro earthquake, struck in 1751. It damaged the Palace again. Its front and upper levels were destroyed. But the strong base of the building remained. This allowed it to be rebuilt. The rebuilding started in 1755 and finished in 1764.

However, nature struck again in 1773. A very powerful earthquake shook the city. This one was called the Santa Marta earthquake. Leaders wanted to move the Palace's heavy stone columns to a new city location. But the columns were too heavy to move.

North view of the Captain Generals Palace and temporary storage for its stone pillars after the Santa Marta earthquake in the 1840s.

Central Park with the San José Parish and temporary shelters for the fallen columns of the Captain General Palace in 1840.

Cathedral and what remained of the Palace in 1884.

On July 29, 1773, a huge earthquake hit the city. It happened around 3:00 p.m. An hour later, an even stronger tremor struck. It lasted about a minute. This earthquake destroyed churches, government buildings, and homes. It also cut off water and food supplies. Many people who brought food to the city fled to the mountains.

After the earthquake, important meetings were held. Leaders decided to tell King Carlos III about the damage. They also decided to move the city to a new valley called "La Ermita." This new location was further from the volcanoes. People at the time thought volcanoes caused the earthquakes.

On December 13, 1773, two more strong earthquakes hit. This convinced everyone that moving the city was necessary. In 1774, the King and his council approved the move. Matías de Gálvez was in charge of coordinating the move between 1779 and 1783.

The earthquake itself caused serious damage. But the city being abandoned made things worse. On January 16, 1775, workers began taking apart damaged buildings. They removed all reusable materials. These materials were then moved to the new capital city. After this, the Palace was left without doors, windows, or balconies.

After the Capital Moved

Royal Palace in 1875.

Palace after its front was rebuilt in 1896.

Palace and Central Square in 1920.

During the 1800s, the city of Antigua was mostly empty. Many old monasteries and churches were sold to regular people. But some families returned to Antigua to live there again. So, a local government was needed. They started using some of the old buildings for their work.

Towards the end of the 1800s, the old Palace's front was rebuilt. Workers used the stone columns that had been stored for almost a hundred years. These columns were in temporary shelters in front of the Palace. After this work, the less damaged parts of the Palace reopened. This included the jail and government offices.

On February 4, 1976, Guatemala was hit by another powerful earthquake. It measured 7.5 on the Richter scale. This earthquake destroyed much of the country's buildings. The Palace was severely damaged. Its eastern front had to be taken down. In 1979, the Palace, along with the rest of Antigua Guatemala, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This means it is a very important place for everyone in the world to protect.