Municipal Theatre of Quetzaltenango
Neoclassical theatre of 1895 in highland Xela, still the city's main stage for concerts and drama.
Quetzaltenango, known locally as Xela, prospered on coffee in the late nineteenth century, and in 1889 the national government agreed to the city's request for a theatre worthy of that wealth. The building, occupying a whole block just north of the centre, was inaugurated on 19 July 1895 in a restrained neoclassical manner, with a colonnaded front, pediment and strong symmetry. Earthquakes in April 1902 caused serious damage.
A replacement facade designed by Domingo Goicolea was unveiled in November 1908, giving the theatre the frontage it has today. The auditorium holds about 1,050 people on three levels, stalls, upper boxes and amphitheatre, beneath a decorated ceiling. It is classed as a first-order monument and category A cultural heritage, and remains the principal stage in the western highlands for concerts, dance, theatre and the ceremonies of the annual Juegos Florales.
Highlights
- Neoclassical building of 1895 occupying a whole city block
- Replacement facade of 1908 by Domingo Goicolea after earthquake damage
- Auditorium for about 1,050 people on three levels
- Listed as a first-order national monument
