La Recoleccion Church and Convent or Iglesia y Convento de la Recolección.
This was once one of the most impressive monuments of the city. The construction was done from 1701 thru 1708, it was started by Architect José de Porres and finished by his son Diego.The church was opened in 1717, and suffered severe damage that year. The buildings were destroyed by earthquakes of 1773. As ruins they were damaged again in the earthquake of 1976, losing a beautiful arch. These ruins have not had much reconstruction, as many others have, so it is really amazing to see all the rests of the original buildings.
It is kept by the Consejo Nacional para la Protección de Antigua Guatemala (CNPAG). It is open to the public and admission is charged. In April 2010 the admission was:
- Q40 Foreign tourists (around US$5)
- Q20 Foreign students (around $2.5)
- Q15 Central American tourists and students ($2)
- Q5 Local tourists and students (less than $1)
And the working hours were from 9AM to 5PM opening everyday.
I takes around 45 minutes for a complete visit.
