The Plaza Mayor In Nueva Guatemala,

Approaches As Work Of Urban Design

Abstract

Unlike the main squares of many capitals of colonial Latin America, the main square of
the new capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala was designed with greater spatiality and with a certain overall unity, at the same time, the regional traditional of political-religious centrality survived. But because it was carried out during the late-colonial or Bourbon period, various elements of monarchical symbolism, of the European tradition of the royal square, were strengthened and introduced. Therefore, the characteristics of these two typological influences can be seen in this new main square of the capital city. In addition, it is pointed out that this showed a certain modesty due to economic limitations, seismic vulnerability and excessive seriality as the same urban checkerboard of the entire city. Despite this, it was an exceptional work in the context
of the cities of colonial Central America, although in stark contrast to the prevailing
poverty and exacerbated by the transfer of the capital itself. Finally, the question of
the quasi destruction of this work, consummated at the beginning of the 20th century, and what this suggests is addressed. Thus, the present essay, more than a historical interpretation, introduces elements of analysis from the plastic artistic perspective of urban design.