The Republic of Panama can be found in Central America between Columbia and Costa Rica. The capital is located near the center of the country where the Panama Canal opens on the pacific side. This city has a highly advanced communications network and the internet is spread widely over it. The capital, called Panama City is a central point of banking and commerce for the whole world and is known as a Gamma World City.
With a skyline of dense skyscrapers and enveloped by rain forest, the capital is a thing of beauty. But no visit to this land is complete without a stop at Panama La Viejo. This is a historical landmark that can be reached in less than half an hour by care. Here, you can see the ruins of the original trade city.
Six years after the discovery of the South sea, governor and Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias de Avila chose to found his capital city here on August 15th, 1519. This city would be the first European settlement in the Americas. Spanish exploration and their devastation of the Incan empire started from here.
Not longer after it was founded, the town blossomed due to being a key stopover for an important trade route. Mines in Peru provided a great deal of silver and gold, and it would pass through the town before being shipped to Spain. The prosperity of the trade route brought about the fairs of Nombre de Dios and Portebelo which made it the most important route in all the Americas.
The city was plagued by bad luck, though. Several fires had broken out, doing a lot of harm to the city. But the final blow was caused by an attack. Sir Henry Morgan and a large band of pirates sacked the city and destroyed much of it. This prompted the reestablishment of Panama roughly 8 miles away on a small peninsula. The ruins were left untouched until 1971, when it was declared Historical Monumental Complex. It’s now a tourist attraction.
Much of the ruins remains standing, and anyone who visits here can see the Bay of Panama, where ships of all sorts were once seen at the height of the city’s glory. Many small houses and shops survived, as well as a few of the more important buildings. One of these is the the Royal Houses, where the political power in the land was centered. In addition to the Houses themselves, there is also a custom, a prison, and the treasurer’s office.
The most impressive building that survived is the Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion Cathedral. The building was built between 1519 and 1626 and is in the shape of a cross. At the rear of the cathedral a huge bell tower can be found. It is possible that the bell tower may have also been used as a guard tower for the Royal House.
In recent years, restoration work has been done on the ruins. One of these projects involved providing better access to the landmark. And, a visitor’s center has also been constructed, along with a museum, market, and a restaurant. The tourist attraction is open every day and has an inexpensive admission fee.
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