Irvine, California, is located in the center of Orange County, just 45 miles south of Los Angeles and 90 miles north of San Diego. The center of the city is only seven miles from the . While its main activities were once missions, cattle grazing, and agriculture, today it’s the 8th largest city in the […]
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UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic District of Panama
Panama City has two sides – the modern, with its skyscraper banks and casinos, and the old town, the historic district, referred to as Historic District of Panama, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Founded in 1519, Panama City is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. The city was hit many hard times – slave rebellion, fire, and an earthquake, before being destroyed in a pirate attack in 1671. The original site was laid out in a slightly irregular, somewhat rudimentary grid of colonial planning.
The city was moved in 1673, about four and a half miles southeast and is known as Casco Antiguo or the old town. A sea wall was erected for protection from its enemies, the city had a central plaza with smaller plazas on the fringe. The streets were organized, of a sort, although it was likely hard to figure out the organization.
Notable historic and cultural sites include:
- St. Mary’s Cathedral
- San Felipe Neri church
- San Jose church
- San Francisco church
- La Merced church
- Presidential Palace
- House of the Municipality
- Canal Museum (which was originally a hotel)
- National Theater
- Ministry of Government and Justice
- Municipal Palace
- Casa Gongora
The Historic District of Panama today is a complex grid of streets and blocks of varying sizes. Structures are a blend of 19th and early 20th-century architecture with a colonial, Caribbean, Gulf Coast, French, and Neo-Renaissance flair. The culture sites dominate the area, with cafes, restaurants, and shops intermingled.
Take a walk with me through part of the historic district of Panama
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About MJ
Mary Jo is an avid traveler, and when she’s not on a trip, she’s planning the next one. She always has a bag packed, ready for the next great adventure. In addition to traveling, Mary Jo likes lingering over a cup of coffee, wandering in a museum, sipping wine at a cafe, enjoying a relaxing massage, and sharing it all with friends and readers.
Her most recent travels were to China, a Baltic cruise, and Universal Orlando Resort.
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