Prior to the Second World War, Intramuros was the home of various religious Orders such as the Franciscans, Capuchins, Augustinians, Recollects, Jesuits and the Dominicans. These Orders established their mother churches inside the walls of Intramuros. The Manila Cathedral also housed the seat of the Archbishop of Manila.
The churches were:
1. Manila Cathedral - seat of the Archbishop of Manila; rebuilt
2. San Agustin Church - Augustinians; survived
3. San Ignacio Church - Jesuits; destroyed (ruins can still be seen today)
4. San Francisco Church - Franciscans; destroyed
5. San Nicolas de Tolentino Church (Recoletos Church) - Recollects; destroyed
6. Santo Domingo Church - Dominicans; destroyed
7. Lourdes Church - Franciscan Capuchins; destroyed
8. Chapel of the Franciscan Venerable Third Order - Venerable Orden Tercera(VOT) Franciscans; destroyed
Can you believe that out of the 8 churches, only 2 survived to this day? It's really sad. The war damaged the whole of Manila not sparing these churches. San Agustin Church miraculously survived the bombings and was still very much intact after the war. Unfortunately, these religious Orders did not continue to make Intramuros their home. After the war, they relocated outside the walls in various locations all around the Metro.
Can you imagine how convenient Visita Iglesia would be if all of these churches still existed?
Your blog entries, especially the series on Intramuros' fabled churches, are fantastic. They were well-written but more importantly, visually captivating. I hope more young Filipinos check out your blog. Do keep up the good work you are engaged in! The enterprise of spreading word about our cultural heritage and history is noble and much needed.
ReplyDeleteThat San Agustin Church is my favorite and my number 1 great church of Intramuros. Great post!
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