Church of Santa Ana: A Sanctuary Built for the Arrabal
When the city relocated in 1673, the residents living outside the city walls needed their own church. At first, there was only a modest wooden hermitage; construction on the masonry church began in 1757, financed with the support of the Count of Santa Ana, Mateo de Izaguirre, along with raffles and donations. It was blessed and consecrated in 1764. Generations of the arrabal received their sacraments here, including the children of enslaved people and free Black residents, making the church an integral part of the neighborhood's social history.
A church that learned to endure
Its current appearance also tells a story of survival. A fire in 1854 destroyed the roof and much of the interior; an earthquake struck it again in 1867, and another fire caused damage in 1938. The building retains features of Panamanian colonial architecture, with a rectangular floor plan, masonry walls, and wooden structural elements. Facing Plaza Santa Ana, it continues to serve as an active place of worship and a landmark for surrounding communities, in addition to being part of the traditional Seven Churches visitation during Holy Week.
Visiting it allows you to look beyond its facade: here, history is understood through those who lived outside the city walls and turned the arrabal into a city.
