Casco Viejo I | Thursday Aug 05, 2010
Originally built and settled in 1671 after the destruction of Panama Viejo (The original location of the City of Panama) by the privateer Henry Morgan, Casco Viejo de Panama was constructed as a walled city on a peninsula 8 kilometers away from Panama Viejo to protect its settlers against future pirate attacks.
Casco Viejo has much of the original 16th & 17th century Spanish & French Colonial architecture still standing, the most in all of Panama. UNESCO designated Casco Viejo as a World Heritage Site in 2003. The area is undergoing a revitalization as businesses and residents are moving in and renovating these old buildings.
If I could live anywhere in Panama, it would be Casco Viejo. To say that I took a lot of pictures here would be a serious understatement. It was the first day I really had to walk around part of the city (until then most of my travels had been by car). Combine walking the area with my love of history and architecture and the fact that it is just flat out beautiful and my camera went into over drive.
A little bit about a few of the photos in this set.
The abandoned structure is Club Union built in 1917. For many decades Club Union was the most exclusive and elegant social club in Panama City. With the decline of Casco Viejo the affluent families moved away from the old city and the club was abandoned. Under Manuel Noriega, it became the Club de Classes y Tropas and hosted lavish parties for the General’s classes and troops. After the U.S. invasion, the building fell into ruin. It is currently being demolished to make way for a five star hotel. I'm glad I got to see it when I had the chance.
Las Bovedas was part of Panama City's colonial fortification and is part of Plaza de Francia. If you start at Paseo de Esteban Huertas the walkway will lead you down to this plaza. Las Bovedas, which means vaults, have been used as at one time or another as stores, offices, a jail, dormitory and restaurants.
The blue building is the French embassy. It is located at the very front of Calle 1, the first street in Casco Viejo.
The church of Santo Domingo was built immediately after the settling of Casco Viejo, but underwent a fire in 1756. The wood church was destroyed and not rebuilt was but a flat arch inside the church still stood. The flat arch is famous because engineers had deemed it impossible that such a flat arch could remain in place without some sort of support. It was considered to be proof that Panama is relatively free of earthquakes. Unfortunately it succumbed to lack of maintenance and fell in November 2003. It is presently being restored.
The National Theater was opened in 1908 and its interior has been completely restored. It seats 800 and presents a programs of music, dance and theater.
As you walk down the streets you see newly renovated buildings next to ones that have not been touched. It is obviously a work in progress and a shift back to the affluent community that used to make this area it's home.
Flickr set: Panama
Tags: architecture canon50d panama panama_city
Galleries: Architecture Panama
- Canon
- Canon EOS 50D
- F8
- 1/200 sec
- 10.0 mm
- 100
- 0
- Normal program
- Flash did not fire, auto
- 1.78
- Multi-segment
