In the heart of the Panchoy Valley lies the venerable City of la Antigua, Guatemala.  Set at a mile’s elevation, it is shrouded by three imposing volcanoes that rise up thousands of feet from the valley’s floor.  Expansive coffee fincas fan out on all sides until giving way to a calico of small farming plots that ladder their way up the surrounding hillsides.
The site where Antigua sits today was originally occupied by the ancient Maya who settled here many centuries prior to the arrival of Pedro de Alvarado and the Spanish Conquistadors.  Even today, it is not uncommon for workmen to unearth ancient Mayan relics hidden beneath the valley’s fertile soil.
During the reign of the Spanish, the City of Antigua was built and destroyed several times by a series of mudslides and earthquakes only to be reconstructed in even more grandiose fashion each time.  At its former apex, during the early 16th Century, Antigua served as the capital of the Spanish Viceroyalty that stretched from Southern Mexico all the way to Panama.  Today, visitors delight in the old-world charm of baroque-style colonial ruins mixed with colorfully painted pastel walls and cobblestone streets.  The grandeur of la Antigua Guatemala was formally recognized in 1979 when it was named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Antigua is also famous for its people, its culture and its tradition of fine craftsmanship. For centuries, skilled woodworkers, masons and blacksmiths have plied their trades here. Their artistic knowledge has been passed down through generations and today, is integral to the ANTIGUA furniture making process.