Arquitectura y Urbanismo de la Ciudad de Panamá, Plaza Mayor y Catedral

Abstract

The Historic Monumental Complex of Panama Viejo is the place where the city of Panama was born and is one of the greatest identity references that Panama has. Most Panamanians have toured the historic site at some point in their lives and have visited the ruins of the cathedral, which is a reference point for childhood memories, fantasies of past times livings, a national identity symbol and the expression Panama City´s evolution. Panama City was founded on August 15, 1519, becoming the first European city founded on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Panama Viejo architecture and urban planning knowledge is based mainly on historical documentation; there are few field studies on urbanism and on many occasions these studies are not linked to the archaeological research that have been carried out in the place for more than 20 years. In fact, Panama Viejo lacks on studies that holistically relate data collection in the field with history, archaeological research, and architectural-typological analysis. The Historic Monumental Complex of Panama Viejo is a city in ruins, a sample of Spanish architecture and urban planning in America from the genesis of the conquest until well into the 17th century. This doctoral thesis exposes the urban and architectural evolution of Panama Viejo beyond the ordinances and schemes established as unavoidable, identifying the characteristics that make this urban complex a heterogeneous, contradictory, and unique site. Panama Viejo architecture and urban planning are presented as a continuation of the medieval Spanish tradition. Within this research, emphasis is placed on the main square as an important element within early colonial urbanism and the place where efforts to recover the historic site have recently been concentrated. The cathedral is another important element, a building located in the main square, which, like the rest of the city, remains in ruins. The history of this building is shown in contrast to the physical architectural facts that question some points that the existing historiography considers unchangeable. All physical descriptions are contrasted with documents written by those who lived in the 16th and 17th century in Panama City, or with those documents that are related to the building construction discipline, and that contain the knowledge of the builders of that time. This thesis aims to explain the reason for several of the urban and architectural characteristics of Panama Viejo in its historical and archaeological context. The intervention criteria used in the conservation works of the cathedral and its tower are also presented, together with the project to recover the main square, all accompanied by reflections on the values that are transmitted through the interpretation and conservation of the heritage. This doctoral thesis aims to demonstrate that the process of valuing the built heritage is full of complexities and contradictions, and that the contributions of archaeological research together with the intervention and interpretation projects of Panama Viejo have given a new dimension to the Historical site. It is essential to link Panama Viejo with the studies and research carried out in other places in the Republic of Panama. Panama Viejo is a benchmark of colonial architecture in Panama, an architecture and urbanism example that appears in other regions of the country. In this sense, Panama Viejo should be taken in account in research on Panamanian colonial towns, since it is a source of information that can clarify unknowns that are still pending.