Conservation, Reuse and Regeneration of Religious Cultural Heritage: The Case of the Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo and the Historic District of Panama

Abstract

Founded in 1519 by Pedrarias Dávila, Panama Viejo is the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. It was laid out in an almost rectilinear grid, and it illustrates how the idea of a planned town, an example of early colonial urbanism, was transferred from Europe. Henry Morgan and his pirates attacked the city; it was burned, destroyed, abandoned, and then used as a quarry for the construction of the new settlement to the west, known today as the Historic District of Panama. The District has also preserved its original street plan, its architecture and an unusual mixture of Spanish, French and early American styles. It is important to highlight how the transfer from the old to the new city entailed certain continuity in the original footprint of the religious buildings. Historic documents mention that a decision was made to position all the convents within the walled enclosure of the new city with large lots similar in scale to those they had had in the old city. Upon closer study of the specific case of the Conceptionist convent, in both Panama Viejo and the Historic District, a comparison will show the enhancement or loss of its value through conservation or destruction, depending on the situation. Furthermore, it will stress the importance of how memory and interpretation of cultural heritage can collectively build identity.

This chapter originates from the article: Cubero Hernández, A., & Arroyo Duarte, S. (2020). Colonial Architecture in Panama City: Analysis of the Heritage Value of Its Monastic Buildings. Designs, 4(4), 57. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/designs4040057.