Rooftops Near Iglesia de San Francisco, Antigua Guatemala

Antigua's Iglesia de San Francisco el Grande anchors the eastern edge of the city, its terracotta roofline part of a colonial religious complex founded by Franciscan friars in 1579. Repeated earthquakes, including the devastating 1773 Santa Marta quake, damaged the original structure, and much of what stands today reconstruction carried out in the 20th century. The adjoining convent once served as a center for education and charitable work under Hermano Pedro de San José Betancourt, a Franciscan missionary canonized in 2002 whose remains are entombed in the church. Antigua's building code, enforced since the city's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, requires clay tile roofing and low-rise construction throughout the historic center, preserving the architectural character seen across the surrounding rooftops. The volcanic hills ringing the city, part of the Sierra de las Minas range, contribute to Antigua's isolation from the seismic-prone lowlands and its long survival as Guatemala's former colonial capital.

Photo taken in February 2020.