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Visita Iglesia8 o l d m a n i l a c h u r c h e s

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Visita Iglesia8 o l d m a n i l a c h u r c h e s

TexT and PhoTos by

Estan Cabigassimbahan.neT

The City of Manila was the capital of what was then known during the Spanish colonial period as the province of Tondo. It was established under the

command of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in 1571 over the

remnants of Rajah Solimans kingdom.

The most important area is Intramuros, a citadel where

Spains colony was administered. Within its walls the

major religious orders built their churches. Outside

were also constructed several edifices to attend to the

spiritual needs of parishioners.

This segment of the visita iglesia series features eight

of the surviving Spanish colonial era churches within

Manila either wholly built or stil l retaining its original faade.

Churches featured:

Malate ChurchSan Agustin Church

Manila Metropolitan CathedralTondo Church

Binondo Minor BasilicaQuiapo Minor Basilica

San Sebastian Minor BasilicaSta. Ana Church


Malate Church

Malate was formerly known as Maalat, derived from the salty waters near it which the Spaniards later corrupted to its current name. The first church was constructed by the Augustinians in 1588 under the protection and care of the Nuestra Seora de los Remedios whose miraculous image was brought in 1624

from Andalucia, Spain.

Upon orders of Governor-General Sabiniano Manrique de Lara, it was destroyed in 1661 over fears of an attack by the pirate Li Ma Hong but rebuilt in 1677-79.

In 1762, it was made the headquarters of the British during their brief invasion of Manila. In 1864, it was rebuilt for the third time after the great earthquake of 1863 that destoyed many other churches.

The faade is said to be a blend of Muslim and Baroque architectural styles, one of the impressive ones in Manila. Unfortunately, because the paletada has been scraped off the surface, wearing and deterioration has been apparent with two of it s emblelishments, the two heart relieves at the side of the main portal disintegrating.

San Agustin Church

San Agustin Church in Intramuros is the mother of all churches in the country. It was constructed in 1587 and finished in 1604. This church has survived earthquakes, fires, typhoons and when Manila was bombed out by the Americans to flush out the Japanese

in World War II, the second most destroyed city in the world after Warsaw in Poland, it was the only structure left standing in Intramuros suffering a gaping hole in what is now the Chapel of Legazpi and a damaged bell tower.

The left belfry was torn down by Spanish authorities after it posed a security risk for passersby after it cracked in the 1880 earthquake. The interior offers a peek of the richness of religious edifices in times past with its stunning trompe loeil, beautiful 17th century pulpit and intricately carved portals make it one of the must see churches in the country.

The church and the monastery complex is one of two remaining example of its kind in the Philippines. The titular patron of San Agustin church is the Conversion of St. Paul.

During the pre-war period, it was one of seven major churches within the walls that people come for the visita iglesia. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Manila Metropolitan

Cathedral

The Manila Cathedral, the ecclesiastical seat of the Archdiocese of Manila is just one of two surviving churches that can stil l be found in Intramuros.

It was first built in 1581 made from nipa and bamboo. In its

428 years of history, it has been destroyed by fire, typhoon, earthquakes and the last World War but always rising from the ashes.

After World War II, only the walls and faade stood. The current structure, the 8th, was built between 1954 and 1958 over its remains. Even now, one can stil l see some of the original portion at the choirloft.

It was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II during his Manila visit in 1981 and is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception.

The architecture is a blend of Romanesque-Byzantine with Baroque elements that typifies many Philippine Spanish colonial era churches in the country. Its main portal feature bronze relieves that depict its construction history.

Tondo Church

Tondo was the first city of the province with the same name and the churchs convent was one of the first few in Luzon having been accepted by the Augustinian friars in 1572. It is under the protection of the Sto. Nio de Cebu.

The first stone church was believed to have

been finished in 1625. It got damaged in 1641 during the Chinese revolt and by an earthquake in 1645. In 1661, together with Malate Church, it was torn down upon orders of Governor-General de Lara due to fears of an invasion by the Chinese pirate Li Ma Hong (or Koxinga) from Formosa (now Taiwan). It was rebuilt later that year.

The current stone church, the third to be built was started after the earthquake of 1863 damaged the previous one. It is the first church in the country to use steel framing for the media naranja or dome and iron sheets for the roofing that were imported from England.

The faade of the church is done in the neoclassical style flanked by twin belltowers.


Quiapo Minor

Basilica

Quiapo District was first established in 1586 by Governor-General Santiago de Vera. The Fransciscans erected the first church made of nipa and bamboo under the advocacy of St. John

the Baptist.

A fire destroyed the first structure in 1639. It was later rebuilt but this second church was damaged during the 1863 earthquake. While the Franciscans built the first church, later structures were erected by the Seculars.

In 1787, the Archbishop of Manila, Basilio Sancho de Santas Justa y Rufina ordered the transfer of the image of the Black Nazarene that was then enshrined at the Augustinian Recollects main church, the San Nicolas de Tolentino, in Intramuros. This transfer or translacion is commemorated every 9 January.

The third church was inaugurated in 1899. In 1928, fire consumed the edifice and was rebuilt with the architect Juan Nakpil in charge of the plans for reconstruction. It was later expanded to its current form sometime in the 80s.

Now known as the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, it is the center of the icons devotion in the country.

San Sebastian Minor

Basilica

The Minor Basilica of San Sebastian is a sight to behold. Its towering spires, soaring high into the heavens, and impressive neo-gothic architecture sends one to ecstasy.

The current structure, the national shrine to the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, was built by the Augustinian Recollects in 1893 after the one made of stone was destroyed by an

earthquake. Its first church was built in the middle of the 17th century.

The iron sheets and panels were manufactured in Belgium and was assembled by local artists and craftsmen when it arrived in 1888. Its beautiful stained glass windows were imported from Germany.

The architecture is neo-gothic with those fan vaults and lancet arches. However, because of the material, the intricate details and embellishments of the typical architectural style is at a minimum.


Sta. Ana Church

The Franciscans were the first to establish a mission outside the walls of Intramuros in 1578 to better serve the needs of the laity. This is the present town dedicated and named after St. Anne of the Abandoned.

The present churchs cornerstone was laid in 1720 by the Bishop of Manila and acting Governer General of the Philippines that time, Francisco de la Cuesta.

It was built under the supervision of Fray Vicente Ingles.

The church is known for its beautiful baroque retablo, the only one of its kind that can be found stil l intact in Manila. The statue of the Our Lady of the Abandoned is a copy of the original at Valencia, Spain and holds a crystal baton that used to belong to the Governer General, symbolic of his authority and was donated by the Archbishop.

In 1966, the National Museum excavated the inner patio of the church and found a rich horde of artifacts with the oldest, a white and blue ceramic with floral designs, dating to the 11th century. This indicates its rich pre-hispanic past.

Binondo Minor

Basilica

Binondo Church was founded by the Dominicans for the spiritual adminsitration of the Christian Chinese.

The first structure was built in 1596 presumably of l ight materials and was dedicated to San Gabriel. It was rebuilt

in stone in 1606. In 1740, it was decided to demolish the old church and build a new one which was inaugurated in 1749 and dedicated to the Nuestra Seora Santissima del Rosario.

The church and its belfry were damaged by the 1863 earthquake. During World War II, bombs were dropped in 1944 and left only a shell of the Church. It was later rebuilt.

According to Pedro Galende, OSA in Philippine Church Faades:

its front and belfry is a fine example of Mexican-Spanish colonial architecture, expressing, as some historians wrote, the graceful and lively form of the baroque Philippine Style.

It is now known as the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz as this was where the first Filipino saint l ived, worked and grew up.


Visita Iglesia in Manila Map

Tondo Church

Manila Cathedral

San Agustin Church

Malate Church Sta. Ana Church

San Sebastian Basilica

Quiapo Basilica

Binondo Basilica


Simbahan.netP h i l i P P i n e r e l i g i o u s c o l o n i a l h e r i Ta g e a r c h i T e c T u r e

Simbahan.net is devoted to Philippine Catholic religious colonial architecture like heritage churches, cemeteries, fortif ications and parochial

houses or what is colloquially known as kumbento. As

much as possible, I highlight these as detailed as I can.

The posts that you can read in the blog are based on

actual field work, documentation and research.

Background and history, however, all depend on the

references that I can find. All photographs, unless

stated otherwise are personally taken in situ.

Check simbahan.net for additional downloadable PDF

files.

Simbahan.net covers the following:

Spanish colonial era churchesConventos

FortificationsCemeteries


Estan CabigasP h o To g r a P h e r a n d b l o g g e r

Estan Cabigas is a multiawarded blogger and freelance photographer based in Makati City, the Philippines. A true blue Cebuano, he makes stunning

images and meaningful photo stories. He has writtten

for CNN Go and his photograph will be published in the

May 2010 issue of the National Geographic Magazine.

He is available for photo projects, assignments and

talks on Photography as well as contributes travel

related features and articles with beautiful images.

To know more about him and his photography, visit his

portfolio site at estancabigas.com.

Estan Cabigass websites:

EstanCabigas.comSimbahan.netLangyaw.com

Salagubang.netFitandRun.Info
http://estancabigas.com

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Visita Iglesia - Simbahan - Philippine Heritage Churches ...simbahan.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/visita_iglesia_manila.pdf · Visita Iglesia 8 old manila churches TexT and PhoTos