La Recolección Architectural Complex is a former church and monastery of the Order of the Recollects (Ordo Fratrum Minorum Recollectorum) and its adjacent park in

Antigua, Guatemala Antigua Guatemala (), commonly known as Antigua or La Antigua, is a city in the Guatemalan Highlands, central highlands of Guatemala. The city was the capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1543 through 1773, with much of its Baroque- ...

. It is in the western part of the old city.

History

In 1685 two missionaries of the friars of the Recollects arrived, and, with more friars arriving in subsequent years, the City Council was asked for permission to build a monastery. In their 1695 report, the City Council opined that not enough friars were there to support this enterprise and that enough monasteries had already been established. Nevertheless, in 1700 a royal decree was issued for the building of the monastery.Guide. La Recoleccion Architectural Complex. Issued by Conjejo Nacional Para La Proteccion De La Antigua,Guatemala. In 1701 construction of buildings commenced, followed six years later by the laying of the cornerstone for the Church itself. In 1708 the cloisters, library, and infirmary were completed. The church was inaugurated on May 23, 1717. A few months later Antigua was afflicted by the

1717 earthquakes Events January–March * January 1 – Count Carl Gyllenborg, the Swedish ambassador to the Kingdom of Great Britain, is arrested in London over a plot to assist the Pretender to the British throne, James Francis Edward Stuart. * J ...

damaging the church and the cloisters. After repairs, the monastery housed 35 friars in 1740. The complex suffered again in the 1751 earthquakes and more so in the devastating

Santa Marta earthquake The 1773 Guatemala earthquake struck Guatemala on July 29 at 15:45 local time. It had an estimated epicentral magnitude of 7.5 Mi. It was part of a sequence that started in May that year. There were two strong foreshocks on June 11 and the mainsho ...

s of 1773. The church lost its base wall and most of the presbytery and the crossing, while the

aisle An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, certain types of buildings, such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parl ...

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

and its upper side were render useless. Throughout the years, man-made destruction further demolished the complex, as remnants were used as a stable, as a soap factory, and as a sport complex. Materials were also removed for outside construction.

Today

Today the ruins are surrounded by parkland; they are a protected national monument. Large masses of masonry are found, mainly inside the church. There is public access to the cloisters; there is no access to the catacombs.

In film

The initial earthquake sequences from the

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

's film '' The Border'' were filmed in

Antigua Guatemala Antigua Guatemala (), commonly known as Antigua or La Antigua, is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala. The city was the capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1543 through 1773, with much of its Baroque-influenced archite ...

, specifically in La Recoleccion.

Gallery

File:Reco1750.jpg, 18th Century painting that shows La Recolección church in the background. File:Reco1840.jpg, Sketch from the ca. 1840. Notice how the façade had survived the earthquakes relatively well. File:Recoleccion1875a.jpg, Ruins of La Recoleccion in 1875. The only surviving arch was a symbol of Antigua Guatemala ruins until it was ultimately destroyed by the earthquakes of

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

and

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phil ...

. File:Larecoleccionantigua.jpg, Condition the complex was in towards the end of the 19th century. File:Reco1900 01.jpg, Ruins in the early 20th century. Convento de la Recolección, Antigua Guatemala 02.jpg

Notes and references

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:La Recoleccion Architectural Complex Franciscan monasteries in Guatemala Roman Catholic churches in Antigua Guatemala