Cathedral of Guatemala City, Guatemala City (must see)

The Cathedral of Guatemala is the Archdiocese of Guatemala. It is officially named the Holy Church Cathedral Metropolitan Basilica of Santiago de Guatemala.

The edifice was designed by engineer Joaquin de Isasi, architect Marco Ibanez and artist Antonio Bernasconi. Work on the Cathedral began in 1783. The final piece of the original construction was the sculpture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which was moved to the Cathedral of Guatemala from Santa Rosa Chapel in 1815.

The Cathedral incorporates Baroque and Classical architectural styles. The varied elements are due to continued construction and reconstruction over the years. Two towers on the east side were added in 1821, a marble altar was added in 1860, and the bell towers were finished in 1867. The main bell was created from bronze from the San Jose Fort cannons.

The Cathedral of Guatemala was damaged by the devastating earthquake of 1917. Reconstruction was slow, but eventually, the facade was rebuilt. The religious edifice was damaged again by the earthquake of 1976, and its restoration took five years.

The front of the Cathedral is decorated with a series of 12 pillars. The pillars are inscribed with the names of people who were killed during the Guatemalan Civil War.

The Cathedral of Guatemala is located in the Central Park area. Visitors are welcome to tour the inside of the building, which has numerous works of art and religious carvings. It is open daily from 8 AM to 8 PM.