Guatemala Guide
Antigua
The Ayuntamiento
Address: North side of the Parque Central
On the north side of the plaza is the Ayuntamiento, the city hall also known as the Casa del Cabildo, or town house. Dating from 1740, its metre-thick walls balance the solid style of the Palace of the Captains General. Unlike most others, this building survived earlier rumblings and wasn't damaged until the 1976 earthquake, although it has since been repaired. The city hall was abandoned in 1779 when the capital moved to Guatemala City, but it was later reclaimed for use by the city's administration. If you climb to the upper level of the building, there's a wonderful vista of the three volcanoes that ring the city, especially fine at sunset.
The Ayuntamiento also holds a couple of minor museums. The first of these, the Museo de Santiago (Tues– Sun 9am–4pm; US$1.40, Sun by donation), houses a collection of colonial artefacts, including bits of pottery, a sword said to have been used by Alvarado, some traditional Maya weapons, portraits of stern-faced colonial figures, and some paintings of warfare between the Spanish and the Maya. At the back of the museum is the old city jail, beside which there used to be a small chapel where condemned prisoners passed their last moments before being hauled off to the gallows in the plaza. Also under the arches of the city hall, the Museo del Libro Antiguo (Tues– Sun 9am–4pm; US$1.40, Sun by donation) is located in the rooms that held the first printing press in Central America.