After the Santa Marta earthquakes in 1773 and against strong opposition from the archbishop and the regular clergy , the capital was moved from Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala to a new location , known as Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción . In order to enforce the move , Captain General Martín de Mayorga , decided to force the priests and friars to move the most important religious sculptures to the new city ; therefore , in 1778 La Merced friars were forced to move the sculptus of Jesús Nazareno and Virgen Mary to the new city . The move was harsh , as the natives that were supposed to take care of the beloved images arrived late , while the neighborhood was praying and crying while waiting for them . When the sculptures were packaged in a box , their followers walked alonsige them to the Animas gate of the city , and one of them carried the cross of the sculpture all the way to San Lucas Sacatepéquez , a settlement located 15 km away from Antigua Guatemala . The caravan arrived into the new capital at night , and the sculptures were received by Franciscan friars and then by Mercedarians who placed it in a temporary wooden structure located where they were going to build their new church . Martín de Mayorga came to verify the arrival , which signaled the end of the arduous move . In 1801 , the fellowship of Jesús Nazareno de la Merced moved the sculpture altar to the new capital even though the new church had not been constructed yet
Santa Marta earthquakes
1773 Guatemala earthquake
Iglesia de La Merced, Antigua Guatemala