Natá is the third oldest town in Panama. It is home to a church claimed to be the oldest in Panama, but also one of the oldest in the American continent. Natá was originally an Indian village. After the conquest, Spaniards founded a city here in 1522. The construction of Santiago Apostol Church started the same year.
The conquered Indians were baptized and became slaves who worked on the construction which lasted almost 100 years. The feathered serpent protecting the monstrance deserves attention in the interior design of the church. This is undoubtedly the influence of Native American beliefs before the introduction of Christianity by the Spanish. Inside the church, you cannot miss the wooden, decorated pulpit in the central part of the nave.
