The Old Quarter, also known as Casco Antiguo or Casco Viejo, is the historic district of Panama City. It was completed and settled in 1673, after the destruction of the original city in 1671 by Henry Morgan.

Casco Antiguo has been a World Heritage Site since 1997. Its streets, buildings, plazas, and churches are beautiful and preserved, thanks to a multi-decade renovation effort by private, public, and non-profit organizations.

In this academic field trip, we'll explore different aspects of Panama's rich history through various museums. Firstly, we will bridge the modern and colonial eras to the Native American past of the nation by visiting the famous Museum of the Molas. There, we'll observe the fine textiles of the Panamanian indigenous people known as the Gunas.

Next, we'll visit the iconic Church La Merced with its original wooden roof of over 300 years. It earned its title as the Church of the Two Cities because it was rebuilt stone by stone when the city relocated.

Finally, we will discover the history of the maritime routes of the isthmus in the Museum of the Interoceanic Canal, including the French attempt in the 19th century to construct the waterway.

Throughout the excursion, we will cover essential information, like:

• The culture of the Guna people and their famous textiles
• The history and design of the most preserved Church in the Old Quarter and its religious artifacts
• How the people still managed to take advantage of the isthmus geographic position to trade and travel faster, even before the days of the Panama Canal
• And so much more

The academic field trip takes approximately 3 hours to complete.

An included a 45 minutes master class, given at the school a few days before the excursion, will provide context and help the students recieve a better understanding of what they will see on the site.