Rock, jazz reunion mark opening of XI Paiz International Festival of Art and Culture

The 11th annual Paiz International Festival of Art and Culture—a nearly year-long series of music, dance and art—opens in spectacular fashion on Friday, Feb. 11, when two legendary groups perform together for the first time in more than a decade. The Guatemalan rock group Alux Nahual and Éditus, the Grammy-winning jazz group from Costa Rica, will reunite in a not-to-be-missed […]

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National Orchid Exposition on Feb 3-6

February 3-6 The Guatemala Orchid Association presents the XXXVII National Orchid Exposition, featuring a colorful array of orchids and informative workshops, from Feb. 3-6 in Guatemala City. The event will be at Cervecería Centroamericana, Salón José Mariano Arzú Castillo, 3 ave. 17-16, z. 2. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is Q25. Guatemala, the Land of Eternal Spring, […]

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The Quauhquechollan Canvas

A chronicle of conquest written by Ana Lucía Ortiz & Pierina Piedra Santa Its size is as great as its content is complex. The Lienzo de Quauhquechollan reveals to the viewer amazing feats of both the winners and losers in the conquest of Guatemala. This masterfully created canvas records many valuable details of an important event. Painted with natural pigments […]

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Regalos de Amor

Love is in the air! Cupid’s bow is drawn and his wings are rustling. Whether the legend is the feast in honor of Juno, the goddess of women and marriage, the Roman St. Valentine, or the mating time of birds, around the globe, Valentine’s Day has traditionally been a celebration of romance. In some cultures, the Valentine’s Day festival has […]

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Good Gets Better

After living in La Antigua in 2002-03 and moving back recently, I’ve noticed a lot of changes, from striking to subtle. In no particular order, they include: • New landscaping along much of the highway from Guatemala City to Antigua. Medians and shoulders sprout colorful groundcover, lilies and shrubs. Nice. • Traffic cops at busy intersections in Antigua, adding an […]

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Backstory on the restoration of the Palace of the Captains General in La Antigua

The palace was demolished by Captain General Martín de Mayorga after 1773. In fact, Mayorga got a royal decree to demolish the entire city after the earthquakes of 1773 but no one paid much attention to it. He did, however, demolish a great part of the palace, trying to move the large stone columns. The palace was rebuilt in the 1890s.

Very few of the buildings in Antigua have original plans. This 1763 plan (first floor) was found at the Archives of the Indies in Seville, Spain. The description is fascinating but may have actually been a proposal for the approval of the building permit by Luis Diez de Navarro, a Spanish engineer who was in charge of the new structure which was completed in 1764.

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February 2011 in Revue Magazine

Dancer: part of the XI Paiz International Festival (photo by Eduardo Patino)

February is one of my favorite months—not because of Valentine’s Day. I love February because it means January is over. And except for New Year’s Day, I hate January. Everyone who coasted since Thanksgiving is enthusiastically sending e-mails with ideas, projects and goals for the New Year. To which I ask: What have you been drinking? If it’s a toad-juice […]

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