The City Hall Palace, inaugurated in 1743, is located on the north side of Antigua’s Main Square. It’s in this building that the Mayor and City Council serve the needs of the residents of Antigua, administrating various city services, including property taxes, water, permits, and fines. The building was abandoned in 1779 when the new capital was established in Guatemala City until the mid-19th century when the city government of Antigua was restored.
Palacio del Ayuntamiento is praised for its well-preserved colonial architecture and prominent location facing Antigua’s central plaza. Reviewers appreciate the historic character of the building, its arched façade, and the fact that portions of the structure continue to be used rather than functioning solely as a monument.
The terrace is one of the strongest highlights, with visitors mentioning impressive views over Parque Central and toward Volcán de Agua and Volcán de Fuego. Several reviewers consider the elevated views among the best available from the buildings around the plaza, and a recent visitor notes that admission was free.
Reviewers also mention museum and exhibition spaces within the building, including displays connected with Antigua’s history and traditions. Overall, Palacio del Ayuntamiento is described as a worthwhile central stop for its architecture, history, plaza views, and volcano scenery.
Construction on the City Hall Palace that we see here today began in 1740 under the direction of the city’s Master of Architecture Diego de Porras, though its design and actual construction is credited to Luis Diez de Navarro and Juan de Dios Aristondo. Little information is available about the structure that existed here previously. Since the first meeting of the City Council was held in 1543, the original “Palace” was probably not much of a palace at all, like its counterpart across the square, the original Royal Palace of the Captains General.
However, we do know that when this new palace was built, there had already been several major earthquakes. All that was learned about minimizing the damage due to seismic activity assisted in its new design. As a result, in 1773, the earthquake that caused widespread destruction in the city had minimal effect on this new structure. Unfortunately, in 1779, the building was abandoned anyway when the capital was moved to Guatemala City.
In 1850, many prominent buildings in Antigua were restored under the leadership of Corregidor José María Palomo y Montúfar, the City Hall Palace was one of them. It once again became the seat of city administration, also housing the local police station and its jail. Further restoration efforts took place after the earthquake of 1976 by the National Council for the Protection of La Antigua Guatemala.
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