Friars’ Quarters at San Francisco el Grande, Antigua

Vaulted stone and brick chambers with arched ceilings in the ruins of San Francisco el Grande Convent, Antigua Guatemala.
Vaulted stone and brick chambers with arched ceilings in the ruins of San Francisco el Grande Convent, Antigua Guatemala.

San Francisco el Grande was founded by Franciscan friars in the 16th century and grew into one of the largest religious complexes in colonial Antigua Guatemala. The 1773 Santa Marta earthquake badly damaged the convent along with much of the city, and the complex was never fully rebuilt. The surviving chambers, with their thick masonry arches, formed part of the friars' living and working quarters, constructed to support the weight of upper floors that no longer stand. The adjoining church was later restored and today holds the tomb of Hermano Pedro de San José Betancur, a Franciscan lay brother canonized in 2002 as Guatemala's first saint.

Taken February 2020

Photo Part Of
Antigua
Historic center of Antigua Guatemala: Santa Catalina Arch, markets, ruins and surrounding volcanoes
51 photos
Map
OpenStreetMap Google Maps
More from Antigua
Garden Passage Through the Ruins of San Francisco el Grande
Garden Passage Through the Ruins of San Francisco el Grande
San Francisco el Grande, founded by Franciscan friars in the 16th century, once ranked among the largest religious complexes in…
Hallway at Casa Bella Boutique Hotel in Antigua
Hallway at Casa Bella Boutique Hotel in Antigua
Casa Bella Boutique Hotel sits within a restored colonial-era building in Antigua Guatemala's historic center, a city designated a UNESCO…
5a Avenida Norte Leading to Santa Catalina Arch, Antigua
5a Avenida Norte Leading to Santa Catalina Arch, Antigua
Santa Catalina Arch spans 5a Avenida Norte in Antigua Guatemala, built around 1690 as a covered passage for the Convento…
Twilight at Parque Central in Antigua Guatemala
Twilight at Parque Central in Antigua Guatemala
Parque Central sits at the heart of Antigua Guatemala, laid out when the city was founded as Santiago de los…
Stone Corridor in the San Francisco el Grande Ruins, Antigua
Stone Corridor in the San Francisco el Grande Ruins, Antigua
San Francisco el Grande was founded by Franciscan friars in 1579 as one of colonial Antigua's largest church and convent…
Clothing Vendors Along a Market Street in Antigua, Guatemala
Clothing Vendors Along a Market Street in Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua Guatemala served as the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala from 1543 until a series of earthquakes forced the…
Nearby Photos

Built in Minneapolis

Minneapolis Photographer

An ongoing archive of work.

© 1996–2026 Chad Davis