Casa Xelajú - Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

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Bookstores

Librería Evangélica 14 Av. 1-01 Zona 1 Tels. 761-2619/4363	Librería LA Gran Popular 15 Av. 0-78 Zona 1 Tel. 761-1485	Librería San Miguel 9a. Av. 8-27 Zona 1 Tel. 763-1568
Librería El Jordán 1a. Calle 15-11 Zona 3 Tel. 761-4608	Librería y Papelería Ramírez 6a. Calle 7-19 Zona 1 Tels. 761-4048/4529	Libreria Bellas Letras 3a Calle 12 - 31, Zona 1 Tel: 763 16 80
Librería La Ceiba 5a. Calle 9-18 Zona 1 Tel. 763-0682	Casa del Libro 7a Calle 10 - 46 Zona 1	Libreria Frida Kahlo 1 Calle, 8 avenida, Zona 3

Theatres

Municipal Theatre

The Theatre is located in the central part of Quetzaltenango, it is an architectural jewel of the Neoclassic style. In 1891, during the municipal administration of Manuel Estrada Cabrera, the first stone was placed to begin the construction of the building and to be inaugurated for the first time in 1895 without it's facade; in 1908, when Estrada Cabrera became president of the country they celebrated the inauguration of the facade, done in a Greek style. In 1995 the theatre celebrated it's first centennial.

The Theatre has a capacity of 1050 spectators and since 1916 has been the stage where the trophy ceremonies of the Floral Games of Central Aemrica, Mexico and the Carribean take place, which takes place during the month of September.

The Cultural Building

The Sun Garden of this monumental building was originally the colonial cementary of the city until 1838. the year the frontal part of the same was retired. It was crossed by a small street named Soul's Street and later in 1872, it was agreed to use as a plaza, ordering the exumation of the cadavers that were still burried. Next the area was converted into a liquer factory and with the arrival of the Spanish Architecht, Domingo Goicolea Urréjula, it was decided to build the Prision Building culminating in 1881.

Inicially, during the demolition of the old Municipal Building to build the Municiopal Palace, it was used for the Municipality, and later the prisoners were transfered and the building was used as a prison until 1955 and later uninhabited.
In 1956, the Group of Renaissance Artists and Writers and the Municipality headed by Dr. Alberto Fuentes Castillo, agreed on the creation of the Western Cultural Building. It was inaugurated in December 1960 with the transfering of the Estrada Cabrera Museum. Later other museums were integrated as the Sports Museum, the Marimba Museum, Museum of Archeology, etc.

This First building constructed in the Plaza of Armas of Old Quetzaltenango, had it's demolition attempted on two occasions, the most recent being in 1977. A group citizens in opposition of such a headless plan, constituted the Commitee for Defense of this Cultural Patrimony which achieved it's declaration as a National Monument on November 14, 1977.