A Taste of Antigua

Sense of place seems a characteristic of places where everyone feels universally comfortable, intrigued, and in love. Definitely, sense of place can have negative connotations, but I like to think of it in a more positive light. Antigua, Guatemala, is one of the most amazing towns I have seen. The whole place is filled with a peaceful, traditional, romantic image of what Guatemala must have been like in the 18^th century. The town represents such a strong sense of heritage and pride of place that it is easy to be swept off your feet with the beauty of the location.

I looked around at awe at this beautiful, and oddly familiar, design of cobblestone streets and ancient houses. It reminded me of Quito Viejo. 17^th and 18^th century colonial Spanish architecture graced all the streets. House walls, painted cheerful shades of red, orange, yellow, and white, disguised the incredibility of the actual homes. The houses, built inside the wall that faces the street, lie hidden, like flowers waiting to bloom or raspberries shyly peaking out from under leaves, waiting for their secrets to be discovered. As I glanced up at the rafters, ceramic tiles painted in traditional Spanish designs revealed themselves to my eyes. Closer glimpses at the dark, heavy wooden doors exposed brass fixings and elaborate hand or lion shaped knockers. Above the doors family symbols graced door frames. Hidden on the tops of iron window covers lay Catholic crosses or Augustine hearts.

And inside, oh inside those romantic walls, lay the intrigues of patios. Little Eden’s inside each building allows the inhabitants to be consistently close to paradise and close to nature. Orchids bloomed mysteriously from their perches in the patio trees. Catholic symbolism exposed itself to the faithful’s eye. I noticed a carving of the Last Supper under a rock, a miniature Piedad illuminated inside an enormous vase, the Virgin Mary hidden in a scallop-shaped niche in the wall, an ornate gold and wood cross exposing Christ’s final suffering on the cross.

My heart flew to this romantic time period; one I surely would never wish to live in, but one whose sense of place is so lovingly cherished centuries later. As we walked the streets, another of Antigua’s secrets bloomed before my eyes. Along one of the traditional, cobblestone streets immerged the ruins of a baroque church. The façade was lovingly carved and seemingly carelessly preserved. It marked the violent epics of the town – landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes had shaken the historic city, causing buildings to collapse, their ruins still being explored today. While many of the buildings retain the 18^th century feel, the older ones lie partially destroyed, yet beautifully preserved in their decrepit state. The entire effect of this historic town was one of unity, solidarity, and overwhelmingly of a sense of culture, community and place that forms Antigua, Guatemala.