The structure, La Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesús, that is found in present day Antigua is not the original church that was originally built by the two Jesuit priests in 1607, over the course of twenty years. It’s not even the second. It’s actually the third church erected after the earthquake of 1695, in what would later become a massive complex, covering one city block, that would include the church, monastery, school, and other structures for prayer and religious pursuits.

Functioning as the Colegio de San Lucas de la Compañía de Jesús from 1608 to 1767, it attracted notable individuals like historian poet Francisco Antonio Fuentes y Guzmán and poet Rafael Landivar, focusing on subjects like philosophy, grammar, and rhetoric. However, anti-Jesuit sentiment boiling in Spain would soon seal the fate of the school.

In June 1767, King Charles III ordered the property seized and all Jesuits expunged from the colonies. It was and they were. Subsequent attempts to find a new purpose for the complex failed and the property remained largely vacant before, during, and after the earthquake of 1773. It would later be used as a textile factory in 1865 and the public market in 1912, before suffering extensive damage in the earthquake of 1976. Recognized for its historical significance, it became a World Heritage Site in 1979.