IGLESIA DE LA MERCED - ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA

The church is known for both its intrucate baroque architecture and its many beautiful statues of Jesus, Mary and many of the saints.

The oldest structures in La Merced date from the seventeenth century. In 1749 Juan de Dios Estrada was commissioned with the construction of the luxurious sanctuary and cloister. He erected a building of low height designed to withstand earthquakes based on the experiences of the tremor of 1751. Arches and columns are wider to cope with the quakes and the church opened in 1767.