Santa Catalina Arch, Colonial bridge in Antigua, Guatemala

The Santa Catalina Arch spans Fifth Avenue North as a yellow-painted concrete bridge with white trim. Its broad lower arch rests on the buildings on either side, and above it rise a circular clock face, a white-framed niche, and a small domed belfry topped with a cross.

Construction of the arch began in July 1693, ordered by the cloistered nuns of the Santa Catalina convent so they could cross the street to their property opposite without being seen. The Santa Marta earthquakes of 1773 damaged this part of the city and the structure was abandoned. In the 1890s the government of General Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián refurbished it and built the small tower that holds the clock.

The street beneath the arch is popularly called Calle del Arco. There the end of the year and the arrival of the new year are celebrated with music, poetry, storytelling and traditional dances. The former convent now houses the Hotel Convento de Santa Catalina Mártir.

The arch is centrally located in Antigua's old quarter and serves as a clear navigation landmark. Shops and restaurants nearby make it easy to find and a convenient base for exploring the surrounding streets.

The clock is a French Lamy Amp Lacroix mechanism from the late 19th century, fitted when the arch was refurbished in the 1890s under General Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián. Damaged in the 1976 earthquake, it stopped and was repaired and restarted in 1991. It needs winding every three days.