The strongest earthquakes experienced by the city of Santiago de los Caballeros before its final move in 1776 were the San Miguel earthquakes in 1717 . At that time , the power of the Catholic Church over the Spanish Empire 's citizens was absolute and any natural disaster was considered as divine punishment . In the city , people also believed that the proximity of the Volcán de Fuego ( English : Volcano of Fire ) was the cause of earthquakes ; the great architect Diego de Porres even said that all the earthquakes were caused by volcano explosions
San Miguel earthquakes
1717 Guatemala earthquake
Antigua Guatemala