The Baroque Churches

8/14/2019 The Baroque Churches

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The Baroque Churchesof the

Philippines

Spanish-Colonial Architecture

Prof. Rondell C. GasconPARTDES


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History of

Philippine Architecture

Architecture in the Philippines today is the result of anatural growth enriched with the absorption of varied

influences. It developed from the pre-colonial influences of our

neighboring Malay brothers, continuing on to theSpanish colonial period, the American Commonwealthperiod, and the modern contemporary times.

As a result, the Philippines has become an architecturalmelting pot-- uniquely Filipino with a tinge of theoccidental.


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History of

Philippine Architecture The arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th

century brought inAntillian architecture.

Though not specifically suited for the hottropics, European architecture wastransposed via Acapulco, Mexico into auniquely Filipino style.

The style traces its roots from theAntilles,in Central America rather than frommother Spain.


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History of

Philippine Architecture Christianization of the islands created the need to

establish religious structures to support the growingnumber of religious organizations. Though they don'tcompare with those seen in Europe or in Latin America,

Philippine colonial churches are unique in their ownsense.

These colonial churches were typically designed byanonymous friar-architects and built between 1600 and1750.

Most were initially constructed with bamboo and nipa,but the friars realized that to instill a sense of awe, aswell as to caution against the terrible menace of fire andearthquake, more grandiose buildings had to be erected


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Precursors and features ofBaroquearchitecture

In the 17th century, the baroque style spread through Europe andLatin America, where it was particularly promoted by the Jesuits.

Important features of baroque architecture include:

long, narrow naves are replaced by broader, occasionally circularforms

dramatic use of light, either strong light-and-shade contrasts,chiaroscuro effects or uniform lighting by means of several windows

opulent use of ornaments large-scale ceiling frescoes

the external facade is often characterized by a dramatic centralprojection the interior is often no more than a shell for painting and sculpture

(especially in the late baroque) illusory effects and the blending of painting and architecture


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The Baroque Churches

Currently, 26 baroque churches that have

been identified as National Cultural

Treasures for their cultural significanceand distinctive architecture have

undergone or still undergoing restoration

headed by the National Commission for

Culture and Arts (NCCA).


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4 Baroque Churches of the Philippines

included in the UNESCO List of World

Heritage Sites

1. San Agustin Church: District ofIntramuros,City of Manila (1993)

2. Church of La Nuestra Senora de laAsuncion: Municipality of Santa Maria,Province ofIlocos Sur San Agustin: (1993)

3. Church of San Agustin: Municipality of Paoay,

Province ofIlocos Norte Santo Tomas: (1993)4. Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva:

Municipality of Miag-ao, Province ofIloilo:(1993)


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NUESTRA SEORA DE LA ASUNCIONSta. Maria, Ilocos Sur


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UNESCO World Heritage Site

Sta. Maria Church Nuestra Seora de la

Asuncion in Santa

Maria town ofIlocos

Sur

Its citadel complex

was the hub for

evangelizing

indigenous peoplesliving in adjacent

highlands


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This church is uniqueamong Philippinechurches since it wassituated on a hill elevated

from the central townplaza.

The hill is surrounded bya retaining wall on allsides.

The churchs bell tower

consists of stackedoctagonal horizontalcross-sections ofdecreasing diameter


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Father Pedro G. Galende, O.S.A. in his bookAngels in Stone writes

about Paoay Church: It is like a huge barn-like structure with anintimations of a Borobodur temple (Indonesia) rather than a Christianchurch...

There is massiveness, movement, integration and above all, a forcefulsweep of illusion that says a great deal of Filipino ingenuity...

The result is outstading and undeniably Filipino type ofArchitecture...typically Filipino...


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Borobodur temple (Indonesia)


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Built from 1694 to between 1702 and 1710, this catholic church is the

premier example ofPhilippine Earthquake Baroque, an architecturalsolution to the area's challenging, natural setting.

The facade is divided vertically by square pilasters that extends fromthe ground all the way to the top of the pediment

The walls are 1.67 meters thick constructed using de capaza andbricks fused with lime mortar.


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Both sides of thenave are linedwith the mostvoluminous stone

buttresses seenaround theislands.

They aredecorated withhuge scrolls, andtopped bydecorativepinnacles.


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Buttresses make Paoay church an

Earthquake-baroque church


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The present bell tower,constructed much later in 1793,is made ofcoral stones andlime powderwith molasses asbinder.

The Paoay Bell tower wasoccupied by the Katipuneros in1899.

Also used as observation post

by the Filipino guerillas duringWorld WarII.


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Paoay Church featured in

Philippine Stamp


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CHURCH OF SANTO TOMASDE VILLANUEVA

Miag-ao,Iloilo


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Miag-ao Church

Miag-ao's church is "themost outstanding exampleof the peripheral baroquestyle blended withembellishment [from] folkmotifs found in thePhilippines,"

This is according to the1992 report of JorgeGazano, an architecturalexpert ofICOMOS, the

United Nations'International Committee forMonuments and Sites


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Church features:

profusely ornamented church-front.

Reigning over its fully hand-sculptured pediment isSt. Christopher, dressed Filipino-farmer style withhis pants rolled up, and carrying the Christ Child onhis back.


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The holy figures stand beside coconut,

papaya and guava trees ready for harvest.

They were rendered by folk artisansworking from their imagination and

whatever guidance the priest, who had no

architectural training, could offer.

No similar tropical-Asian composition

exists.


Miag-ao Church


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the faade is a mixture ofdecorative stylesClassical, Baroque,Rococoall linked bytropical fantasy in adesign uniquelyPhilippine.

For this synthesis andreinterpretation of foreign

influences, Miagaochurch is called a WorldHeritage Site.


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The Church walls was said to be1.5meters thick and made from gluedlimestones and egg whites since there

werent any cements at that time. The two flanking bell towers on the side

which also doubles as a watchtower weremade in different times, the left towerwhen facing the church is olderthan theother.


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Miag-ao Cemetery

ArchitecturalFeature:

The cemetery ofMiagao is made of

red bricks andyellow sand stone.

It has threeRomanesqueentrances and abrick dome. The

structure isoctagonal and isobviously in earlyrenaissance form.


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SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH

Intramuros, Manila


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San Agustin Church

Built from 1586 to 1606 inside Intramuros, the WalledCity where the city of Manila began, San AgustinCatholic church is the oldest extant Christian sanctuaryin the Far East, and the Philippines' oldest stone edifice.

It marks the start of using permanent materials in

contrast to indigenous, lightweight architectural media.


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San Agustins leftbell tower wasdamaged in aManila earthquakein 1880.

The church musthave survivedmore or less than300 mild andstrongearthquakes sinceit was built 500years ago.


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San Agustin Church

The only church within Intramuros to

survive the destruction of World WarII,

this structure features 19

th

centuryhandpainted trompe loeil in its interior as

well as the countrys earliest dated retablo,

pulpit, choir lectern, and choir stalls.

The magnificent retablo is alive withantique images tucked into gilded niches.


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San Agustin Dome ceiling detail


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San Agustin corridor


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San Agustin choir loft


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San Agustin church because of its brilliant, rich andmiraculous history is one of the most sought afterCatholic institution for personal events like matrimony,baptism and others, as well as a favorite destination oftourists and devotion for pilgrims.


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A typical preparation for a San Agustinchurch wedding.

Reservation should be made more or less

that 2 years before the wedding ceremony.


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Epitaph seen on the floor of

San Agustin

The church also features a crypt which houses the

remains of Manilas founder, Miguel Lpez de Legaspi,

Filipino patriot and artist Juan Luna, and other prominent

and historical figures.


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Early Architectural Plans of other

Spanish Colonial Structures

Floor Plan

and

elevation of

Binondo

Church and

towers


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Faade of the monastery of San Juan de Dios.

The merging of West with East is obvious in this faade:

the front of the building is in the El Escorial or Carmelite

style, and is flanked by Chinese-style towers.


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Monastery of San Juan de Dios. Mapas de Amrica yFilipinas en los libros espaoles de los siglos XVI yXVIII

In 1656, the medical friars of San Juan de Dios tookcharge of the hospital of the Brotherhood of Mercy. In1850, the hospital of San Juan de Dios was sited next tothe Parian gate.


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Tower of the Santa

Cruz church. 1850-1898. Many of the towers of

Philippine churchescomprise a series of

sections whose girthdecreases as theyclimb upwards.

Their shape anddimensions are

reminiscent of thecomposition of otherAsiatic styles ofarchitecture


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Other Spanish-Colonial Churches

in the Philippines MOLO Church Architectural

Features: Both the exterior and

interior are Gothic-Renaissance in style.

The exterior isdecorated withgeometric arch windowsand Doric Columns.

The shape of the churchvisibly forms a cross, inother words thestructure is like aBasilica.


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JAROMETROPOLITAN

CATHEDRAL Architectural

Features: The Pseudo- Gothic

style of Jaro is

actually acombination ofRenaissance andBaroqueArchitectures.

The Church is madeout of white hewnstones andconcrete.


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The interior

of Jaro Cathedralis the opposite ofMolo church'sinterior.

Here

Romanesque andBaroqueArchitectureflourished.

There are three

baroque altarsand Male Saintsstand on eachpillar.


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San Jose ParishChurch (Iloilo City)

ArchitecturalFeature: The whole

structure isobviously Neo-classical in thesimplest form.

The facade is aone-story affairflanked withTuscan columns

and rose windows. There is a statuedniche on thecenter of thetriangularpediment


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The interior of the Church is like a Basilica, it has three

baroque-neoclassic altars made out of lime stone. A unique feature of the church is a tabular marble altar at

the intersection of the central nave and the two wings.

There is a pair of wooden pulpits which are heavilycarved.


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San JoaquinChurch

Architecturalfeatures

The only church inthe Philippinessporting a Bas-reliefabout Tetuan'sbattle in Morocco

The bas-relief usedas the facadeproves that thestructure isextremely baroque.

The windows framesare heavilydecorated with floraland shell carvings.


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Cherubs areused asadditionalornaments to

the facade. The faces of the

Saints at thechurch looks soOriental ratherthanEuropean.


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Exercise no. 5

1. Using your OSLO and drawingmaterials, create a DESIGN for the faade(the front part only) of a Spanish-colonial

church. 2. Be guided with the characteristics of

Filipino and Spanish Baroque stylesfusion.

3. Provide labels and short explanation ofyour design (concept, materials used,motif, etc.).

The Baroque Churches

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