The Palacio de los Capitanes Generales anchors the south side of the Plaza Mayor and is the most imposing building on the square. Built in its current form in the 1760s, its long double arcade of arches facing the plaza is a defining image of Antigua — the kind of facade that ends up on postcards and guidebook covers. For two centuries it was the seat of the colonial government that administered the entire Captaincy General of Guatemala, which at its height stretched from the Yucatán Peninsula to Costa Rica.
The palace now houses government offices and the regional military command, but the arcaded ground floor and the interior courtyards can be visited. The facade is best appreciated from the Plaza Mayor itself, where the contrast between the clean lines of the arcade and the ornate baroque church ruins opposite captures the dual character of the city. At night, the building is lit up and the plaza comes alive with students and families — the classic Antigua evening.