denny Schools Periods & Styles book

Music on Circus bar in Panajachel Guatemala june 2009 Panajachel is a town in the southwestern Guatemalan Highlands, in the department of Sololá. It serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The altitude is 5238 feet (1597 m). The population is 11142. The town of Panajachel is located on the shore of Lake Atitlán, and has become a centre for the tourist trade of the area as it provides a base for visitors crossing the lake to visit other towns and villages. In the 16th century, during the period of the Spanish conquest of Guatemala, the shore of the lake was the scene of a battle in which the Spanish and their Kaqchikel allies defeated the Tz'utujils. The Spanish set up a church and monastery in Panajachel soon afterward, and used the town as a centre to convert the indigenous people of the region to the Roman Catholic faith. The original façade of the church still stands, and is considered one of the gems of the colonial style in Guatemala. Panajachel is packed with hotels, small restaurants, lively nightspots and has several schools to learn Spanish. It has been overwhelmed in recent years by tourists, with souvenir shops and stalls lining the main street (Calle Santander). Significantly, the town does offer several features of eco-cultural interest. The restored 16th century Catholic church, San Francisco Assis is the enduring feature of a Franciscan mission established here to Christianize the indigenous population on the ...