Ciudad Vieja | |
---|---|
Municipality and town | |
![]() Facade of the church of Ciudad Vieja | |
Coordinates: 14°31′24″N 90°46′0″W / 14.52333°N 90.76667°W | |
Country | ![]() |
Department | Sacatepéquez |
Area | |
• Total | 26.9 km2 (10.4 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1,550 m (5,090 ft) |
Population (2018)[1] | |
• Total | 33,405 |
• Density | 1,200/km2 (3,200/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central Time) |
Climate | Cwb |
Criteria | Cultural: (ii)(iii)(iv) |
Designated | 1979 (3rd session) |
Part of | Antigua Guatemala |
Reference no. | 65-005 |
Ciudad Vieja (Spanish pronunciation: [sjuˈðað ˈβjexa]) is a town and municipality in the Guatemalan department of Sacatepéquez. According to the 2018 census, the town has a population of 32,802[2] and the municipality a population of 33,405. Ciudad Vieja was the second site of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala, the colonial capital of the country.
San Miguel Escobar is the modern name for the district that contains the ruins of the second colonial capital of the Guatemala region. The Spaniards founded their capital here in 1527, after their previous capital at Tecpán Guatemala became untenable. The city was destroyed by a catastrophic lahar from Volcan de Agua in 1541, and the survivors had no choice but to abandon the site.[3] Among the casualties was the governor Beatriz de la Cueva.[4]