Italian restaurant Da Vinci in old town Panama city. San Filipe district of Casco Viejo, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Panama City, Panama. The small district of Panama City known officially as San Felipe and referred to as Casco Antiguo or Casco Viejo, is rich in history and is now regarded as a national treasure. It was originally built around 1673, by the Spanish garrison, the Catholic Church and the settlers, after privateer Henry Morgan sacked the original site of Panama City (Panama Viejo). Next, the area housed the French officials during their attempt to construct the Panama Canal; what was left behind was a unique, culturally diverse neighborhood with buildings featuring a charming mix of Spanish colonial and French provincial architectures. Since the 1920s however, Casco Viejo has gradually become to all intents and purposes, a semi-elegant slum. The inner city syndrome gripped the area. Maintenance and development stagnated and it was basically forgotten, except by those tourists wishing to see some of the historical landmarks that are interspersed throughout.