Parishes (Parroquias) of Antigua Guatemala

The parishes (parroquias) of La Antigua Guatemala (Sacatepéquez Department) reflect its colonial layout as the 16th–18th century capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala.

The Ten Colonial Parishes

1. Parroquia de San Sebastián — North edge; hermitage origin (1565), rebuilt 17th c.
2. Parroquia de San Pedro — West; indigenous parish (San Pedro Apóstol).
3. Parroquia de Santa María de la Merced — Mercedarian order; distinctive white façade, lambrequin arches.
4. Parroquia de San Francisco — Franciscan; large convent ruins, Escuela de Cristo.
5. Parroquia de Santo Domingo — Dominican; adjacent to Santo Domingo convent (now hotel/cultural center).
6. Parroquia de San Agustín — Augustinian; temple destroyed 1773 quake, ruins preserved.
7. Parroquia de Santa Clara — Poor Clares convent; cloistered nuns, famous pastries (canillitas).
8. Parroquia de la Recolección — Recollect Franciscans; iconic double-arch façade, most photographed ruin.
9. Parroquia del Carmen — Carmelite; convent, church, beautiful courtyard.
10. Parroquia de San Cristóbal — South; El Calvario hill, processional terminus.

Historical Note

After the 1773 Santa Marta earthquakes, the capital moved to Nueva Guatemala (modern Guatemala City). Antigua's parishes were abandoned/ruined — then slowly restored from 19th c. onward. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

Visiting Today

• All within 1 km² walkable grid (calles N-S, avenidas E-W).
• Holy Week (Semana Santa) — world-famous processions traverse all parishes.
• Active Catholic worship + cultural tourism coexist.

These aren't civil parishes (UK sense) — they're ecclesiastical parishes with colonial boundaries preserved in the street plan.