Panama

Plaza de Francia in Casco Antiguo at Dusk

By: Violet Gomez

Casco Antiguo is considered today as a historic center of great tourist and commercial value. It has earned, because of its important listing as a historical inheritance place of humanity, the permanent care of UNESCO as well as other international organizations that ensure optimal development and conservation of world heritage sites.

The new Panama City was founded in what is now known as Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo. The pirate Henry Morgan had destroyed the original Panama City two years earlier. He forced the inhabitants of the city to move 8 miles to the west.  Hence, the new city was relocated next the sea in a rocky peninsula.  Greater security was brought about when a large wall was built with fortifications in every corner. The wall borders around what today is the village of San Felipe.  The village was previously known as “the city from within” up to the 19^th century.

The city had two main gates for its security and protection: The Puerta del Mar or “the Gate of the Sea,” functioned as a pier and located in front of the Palacio de las Garzas, and the Puerta de Tierra, or “the Door of the Land” located at the Central Avenue. La Puerta de Tierra previously had a drawbridge and a dry moat. At 6:00 p.m. sharp the doors were closed and not reopened until the following morning.

The pirates never dared to attack the new city. The solid and re-enforced fortifications were found inside the walled city. Wooden houses stood right outside of the city and these houses soon became the suburbs of Santa Ana and Chorrillo. In 1851, the government decided to dismantle the walls because the walls were no longer deemed necessary. Today, only a tiny section of the wall can still be appreciated next to the Plaza de Herrera.

Numerous visitors were attracted by the strategic location and importance of the city; many decided to stay and contribute to the cultural heritage, the architecture, and the story of the city. Therefore, we have many diverse cultures in one in the city of Panama. The Spanish gave us the style of the cathedral, the altar of gold, and the ruins of the monasteries. From the French, we received the beautiful and majestic ceilings, attics, and balconies.

From the Republic itself, we received the neoclassical buildings. All these styles were combined and brought together with nostalgic memories of a hopeful past. The Old Town still retains its buildings, large balconies, its narrow cobbled red streets, its centuries-old churches, its walks, ruins, and museums, all of which form a cluster of silent witnesses to a great history.  This history helped mark the rationale for Panamanians wanting to forge an identity for the city, for its inhabitants, and for the Panamanian people as a whole. Today, with a new law, incentives are offered to those who want to invest in restoration and increase the value of the city. This way, everyone will be able to appreciate the beautiful homes that have been wonderfully restored and brought back to life.