How about little History

Casco Antiguo was the place where Panama, the first Spanish city in the coast of Pacific Ocean was moved, after being attacked in 1671 by Henry Morgan's minions, being later on granted the title of Sir for such infamous achievement.

The Spanish Empire could not disregard such important commercial and strategical base, located in the narrowest part of the continent, from where other Indian empires had been conquered, developing the colonial process successfully. This is the reason why the city was moved to a sheltered peninsula and then building a wall complex in order to improve protection. No other pirate would dare to attack again.

In that place, named San Felipe, through the century's the buildings were melting with the cityscape, as a writer records the facts of history in white pages. The Spaniard's left a great Cathedral, the tallest building of all Central America and other churches and monastery's, at that time. They also left behind an urban layout that takes the main plaza (Plaza Mayor) as the center from where the rest of the streets expand through the four cardinal points, following some sort of a big chess board.

The importance of the city was growing through time and after the Independence of Panama from Spain, in 1821, the Isthmus joined Columbia, accomplishing the ideals of Simon Bolivar, the Liberator. The later arrival of the American People after the French, with the goal to dig an inter oceanic canal, contributed with new architectonic tendencies, as well as new migratory currents from all parts of the world, giving this place a particular flavour, giving birth to a country, and the folklore of the city and the old neighborhood.

The balconies on the buildings are truly works of art, because of the handcraft of their handrails. They were at a time, a very important place of this buildings because their inhabitants used them as places to have social activities, like evening chat, waving to transient people and using them to hang flowers like bougainvilleas, a custom that is seen nowadays.

The San Felipe neighborhood becomes the Capitol of Panama Republic, when in 1903, Panama separates from Columbia and arrangements are made with the United State's Government in order to finish and fulfill the excavation of The Panama Canal, the 8^th wonder of the world. Reasserting the historical good choice of the location of this city. At that time, public buildings with beautiful neoclassical structures add prestige and charm to this place.