Panama
City's Casco Antiguo (Old Quarter) is actually the "second"
city of Panama, founded in 1673 after the sacking and burning of Panama
La Vieja (Old Panama) by English privateer, Sir Henry Morgan two years
earlier.
Built
on a tiny, rocky peninsula five miles from the ruins of Panama La
Vieja, the "new" city encompassed the neighborhood of San
Felipe –the walled quarters of the well-to-do. The poor lived
in extramuros (outside the wall), in an area known today as Santa
Ana.
A large
part of Casco Antiguo's original Spanish colonial architecture was
lost in a number of fires during the 18th and 19th centuries. Thus,
what we see today is the "resurrection" of the city with
French, Caribbean and North American styles of the mid-to-late 1800s.
Another
part of Casco Antiguo dates from the early days of the Republic (1904-1930),
reflecting classic and art deco influences.
The following
is a list of recommended sites at the Old Quater:
Casa Góngora: a museum and events
venue, thought to be one of the oldest buildings in San Felipe.
San
José Church: home of the Golden Altar, the most valuable
item saved from the sacking of Old Panama.
La
Merced Church: the facade of which was moved, stone by stone
from its original location at the ruins of Old Panama to its present
location.
The
Metropolitan Cathedral: Built between the 17th and 18th centuries
the Independence Plaza, where Panama's declaration of independence
was signed in 1903.
The
National Theater: a recently-restored Neo-Classic jewel built
in 1908.
Las
Bóvedas Promenade and French Plaza: honoring the builders
of the Panama Canal.
