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San Salvador Historic Downtown
Centro Histórico de San Salvador | |
|---|---|
 Panoramic view from Plaza Gerardo Barrios with National Palace from the west, and the Metropolitan Cathedral from the north in the historic centre of San Salvador. | |
| Coordinates: 13°41′51″N 89°11′28″W / 13.69750°N 89.19111°W | |
| Country |  El Salvador |
| City | San Salvador |
| Municipal City | District 1 |
| Settled | 16th Century |
| Elevation | 650 m (2,133 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| Website | www |
The San Salvador historic downtown includes the area where the capital city of El Salvador has been located since the 16th century. This district has long been the country's political, economic and religious center.
The history of San Salvador began here in the mid-16th century. After the pacification of the region by the Spanish conquistadors, the small town of Villa de San Salvador in the Valle de la Bermuda (Valley of Bermuda) was gradually abandoned. The settlement was relocated in 1545 to the valley known by the native Pipils as Zalcuatitán, and renamed "Valle de las Hamacas" by the Spaniards. This campsite was on the slope then called Palo Verde, and was known as "La Aldea". North of that site rose the Plaza Mayor, where the Plaza Libertad now stands. The Church dedicated to Santísimo Salvador del Mundo (the Holy Savior of the World) was erected on its east side.
The original buildings of the Spanish colony have been mostly destroyed by natural disasters over the years. The few notable surviving buildings were erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The earthquake of 1986 severely damaged the area, and due to rising unemployment it has been occupied by a large number of street vendors and other informal traders. Mayor Norman Quijano started several large projects with the goal of restoring the former grandeur of the buildings in the center. One such project is to reroute the public transportation routes so they no longer pass through the historic downtown. Another project is the relocation of the illegal street vendors to a designated public market.
In 1986, Mayor Morales Ehrlich closed streets in the downtown of the city to create a large pedestrian mall, which has resulted in chronic traffic congestion. Since 2009, Mayor Quijano has worked for the redevelopment of parks and historic buildings in the Rescate del Centro Historico, which involves the removal of the street vendors. This has led to several riots in the area, but he has managed to place the vendors in new markets where they can operate their own stalls. Quijano is widely regarded as the first mayor to truly care for the welfare of the city, consequently he was reelected in 2012.
In contrast to many other cities, the financial center of San Salvador is not located downtown, but at the periphery, towards the northwestern sections of the city. Downtown or "Old" San Salvador possesses many historical buildings, including the National Palace, the National Theater, the Plaza Libertad, and the Cathedral. Due to continuous seismic activity, downtown San Salvador currently has no major high rise buildings. However, modern building technology is allowing the construction of taller earthquake-resistant buildings. The tallest buildings are those in the Governmental Center, the tallest is 14 stories and 65 m in height. However, the tallest structure overall is not a building, but rather the cathedral's bell tower, which is approximately 80 m in height.