Which capital city was founded on August 15, 1519, by Pedrarias Dávila?

The capital city founded on August 15, 1519, by Pedrarias Dávila was Panama City.

Pedrarias Dávila, whose full name was Pedro Arias de Ávila, established the settlement on Panama’s Pacific coast. Originally called Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Panamá, it became the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas and a base for Spanish expeditions toward Peru.

Panama City quickly grew in importance because the Isthmus of Panama linked the Pacific and Atlantic worlds. Gold and silver from South America crossed the isthmus on their way to Spanish-controlled ports and Europe. The settlement received an official city charter and coat of arms from Charles V in 1521.

The original city, now known as Panamá Viejo, was destroyed after Henry Morgan’s attack in 1671. Panama was rebuilt several kilometres southwest in 1673, creating the historic district now called Casco Antiguo. That relocation can cause confusion: modern Panama City is the successor to the 1519 foundation, not a separate capital with an unrelated origin.