Source: WTL© digital photograph taken on site in Antigua, Guatemala.
Comments: This photo focuses on the Arco de Santa Catalina (St. Catherine Arch). The clock tower and the clock were added in the 19th century. The purpose of this arch was to connect the two buildings of the Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (right and left) with the church of the same name (up the street behind us as we look at this photo), thereby making it possible for for nuns to cross the street without having to go outside and without having to be seen in public. Behind La Merced church (1548; damaged and rebuilt several times later). The church remains and is in use, but the convent on the right is in ruins. At the height of its activity at the end of the 17th century the convent was home to 110 nuns and 6 novices. Through the arch you see a side of the Volcán de Agua.
Humanities note: This arch is one of the most photogenic and clichéd objects in Antigua.