La Antigua lies at the foot of the Agua volcano. Of Guatemala's first capital, known in history as Ciudad Vieja, only very few remains remain today. The city was destroyed by earthquakes and floods as early as 1541. The Spaniards were forced to build a second capital, called La Antigua, which soon became a brilliant centre of intellectual and religious life in the subcontinent. However, the volcanic nature of the region would once again cause destruction on a massive scale. In 1773, following very strong tremors that had already occurred in the first half of the 18th century, La Antigua suffered desolation and death, forcing the Spaniards to build a new capital. Unfortunately, the latter, like the two previous ones, was not to be spared. The violent earthquake of 4 February 1976 caused the death of twenty-three thousand people. - 1977
