Metropolitan Cathedral

About this place

The Metropolitan Cathedral is Guatemala's main church, standing on the east side of the Plaza de la Constitución in the capital's historic centre. It was the only metropolitan church on the Central American isthmus from 1743 to 1913. Its huge classical front makes it a key stop on a walk around the city centre. It was built between 1782 and 1815, with its towers finished in 1867. It has survived many earthquakes thanks to walls and columns over a metre thick, though it was badly damaged in the quakes of 1917 and 1918, when its elliptical dome collapsed, and again on 4 February 1976, and was repaired. Twelve pillars in front once held statues of the apostles, until the 1917 quake destroyed them. The sand-coloured stone front with its towers and columns looks over the broad square, and its look changes with seasonal decoration for religious processions. The building keeps a 1937 Walcker organ from Germany, one of few surviving in the region. A big dome and church buildings stand to its side, and the square has a fountain where people like to sit. It stands close to the National Palace of Culture, so combine both on one walk. This is a place of worship, so dress modestly, stay quiet and avoid taking pictures during mass. Daytime is best, and watch for pickpockets in the city centre, keeping your things close. Religious festivals crowd the square, and opening times may change.