Parroquia de San Sebastián, Catholic parish in Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala.
Parroquia de San Sebastian is a Catholic parish in Antigua Guatemala featuring a brick-constructed facade positioned at the foot of Cerro del Manchen mountain. The building reflects the colonial architecture characteristic of the region and continues to serve as an active place of worship for the community.
The parish was founded as a hermitage in 1565 and relocated to its current location in 1582 under the direction of Juan de Cuellar. This move was part of Antigua's urban reorganization and established it as one of the city's principal churches.
This parish was one of three main religious centers that shaped spiritual life in the former city of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala. It remains a place where this tradition of community worship continues today.
The church is a ruin, abandoned since 1874 and largely destroyed by the earthquake of 4 February 1976, so there are no services to attend. Look for the brickwork of the late-20th-century partial reconstruction, which was left visible to distinguish it from the colonial masonry. It stands at the foot of Cerro del Manchén.
The 1976 earthquake destroyed almost the entire building, but the partial reconstruction at the end of the 20th century deliberately left the new brickwork visible, so a visitor can tell the rebuilt sections from the old stone at a glance.
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