San José Church, Panama City
Augustinian builders (individual architects not recorded) · Panama City, Panama · 1673
San José Church occupies part of the religious fabric of Panama City's Casco Antiguo. The comparatively restrained exterior leads to an interior best known for its richly gilded principal altar. The building's history is linked to the relocation and rebuilding of religious institutions after the destruction of the earlier city. An architectural visit benefits from considering the relationship between the narrow surrounding streets, the church threshold and the concentrated decorative focus of the sanctuary rather than only the altar as an independent artwork. Visiting: A working church in Casco Antiguo. Access to the famous altar follows local visiting and worship arrangements.