The Palacio Nacional de la Cultura — usually just "Palacio Nacional" — is the grandest building in Guatemala City and the symbolic centre of the country. Built in the 1940s under President Jorge Ubico in a heavy neoclassical-baroque style, with green volcanic stone walls that give it the nickname Palacio Verde, it served as the seat of government until 1996 and is now a museum and cultural centre. The interior holds a sequence of tiled courtyards, a monumental staircase, and the famous murals by Alfredo Gálvez Suárez depicting scenes from Guatemalan history. The "Km 0" point from which all highway distances in Guatemala are measured lies in the courtyard, marked by a two-handed hand holding a white rose that is changed daily. Free guided tours run throughout the day.
Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
| Address | 6a Calle, Zona 1, Plaza de la Constitución, Guatemala City |
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A story
The "Km 0" marker in the palace courtyard — a bronze hand holding a white rose — is replaced with a fresh rose every single day. From this point all highway distances in Guatemala are measured. The palace was built in the 1940s as a monument to President Ubico's authoritarian vision; the building he replaced was destroyed by an earthquake in 1917.