The charming statue of Virgen de los Remedios of Malate, Manila as it appears in a turn-of-the-century photo.
Enshrined at the Church of Malate in Manila in 1624, the statue is said to have been brought from Andalucia, Spain by Fr. Juan de Guevara.
It measures half a "vara", or about 17 inches high, and old accounts describe it as a "brown Virgin."
The statue must have been altered sometime in the mid 1600s or early 1700s as its face and hands were suddenly described as "white ivory" in later accounts.
Its facial features bear Filipino aesthetics; heavy lidded eyes, full cheeks and a straight pointed nose are all traits and hallmarks of colonial Philippine ivory sculptures. The use of ivory too, is indicative of local origins.
The diminutive statue of the Virgin, together with her shrine, were unfortunately destroyed in WWII.
Today, her temple has been reconstructed and her statue replaced with a larger wooden copy by the famed Manila santero, Maximo Vicente.
Source:
Angels in Stone
Galende, 1987
Showing posts with label Simbahan: Philippine Churches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simbahan: Philippine Churches. Show all posts
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Old Gumaca Church Interior
Old Gumaca Church Interior.
Church of San Diego de Alcala
Gumaca, Quezon.
The church interior is done in Neo-Gothic style as can be discerned from its Gothic arches that support a large, central domed ceiling.
The style continues on to the retablos with their spires, pointed arches and geometric decorations.
The retablo mayor is placed behind a Gothic arch that is painted with crenelations. The retablo mayor sits under a small dome that is accentuated with trompe-loeil panels.
The retablo mayor is composed of three niches: the central niche bears a monumental sculpture of San Diego de Alcala hugging a cross--the church's patron saint--while the the other two niches are occupied by presumably, the apostles St. Peter and Paul.
The retablos menores too, follow the design of the main retablo albeit in smaller scales. Each niche bears a Franciscan saint, most identifiable of which is that of San Antonio de Padua with the Christ Child whose statue can be seen on the far left side of the picture.
A common sight in churches back then are the rows of benches placed before the main altar. Often simple in construction and almost always crudely decorated, these benches are reserved for the elite and important figures of the town. The rest of the congregation stand or kneel around the benches during a service.
What can also be seen in the photo are the Semana Santa statues of the Cristo Resucitado and Virgen Alegria, each borne atop their own decorated andas,--a palanquin.
Today, the church has been heavily altered. Gone are the plastered walls with their painted surfaces and Gothic arches; the pulpit and retablos too, have been removed and replaced with superfluous baroque reredos.
Church of San Diego de Alcala
Gumaca, Quezon.
The church interior is done in Neo-Gothic style as can be discerned from its Gothic arches that support a large, central domed ceiling.
The style continues on to the retablos with their spires, pointed arches and geometric decorations.
The retablo mayor is placed behind a Gothic arch that is painted with crenelations. The retablo mayor sits under a small dome that is accentuated with trompe-loeil panels.
The retablo mayor is composed of three niches: the central niche bears a monumental sculpture of San Diego de Alcala hugging a cross--the church's patron saint--while the the other two niches are occupied by presumably, the apostles St. Peter and Paul.
The retablos menores too, follow the design of the main retablo albeit in smaller scales. Each niche bears a Franciscan saint, most identifiable of which is that of San Antonio de Padua with the Christ Child whose statue can be seen on the far left side of the picture.
A common sight in churches back then are the rows of benches placed before the main altar. Often simple in construction and almost always crudely decorated, these benches are reserved for the elite and important figures of the town. The rest of the congregation stand or kneel around the benches during a service.
What can also be seen in the photo are the Semana Santa statues of the Cristo Resucitado and Virgen Alegria, each borne atop their own decorated andas,--a palanquin.
Today, the church has been heavily altered. Gone are the plastered walls with their painted surfaces and Gothic arches; the pulpit and retablos too, have been removed and replaced with superfluous baroque reredos.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Old Santa Cruz Church & The Virgen del Pilar
The church of Santa Cruz was started to be built in 1608 for the community of Chinese converts who were living on the outskirts of Manila. On August 8th, 1625, the church was handed to the Jesuits who made it their professed house and provincial residence. The building wasn't fully completed until a century later in 1715.
The old church building prior to the Second World War featured Classical-Revival traits, a style popular in late 18th and 19th century Philippines. The facade bore a series of ionic columns and a dominant pediment.
Inside, the church housed a somewhat typical Neo-classical retables and pulpit.
Featured in the center niche of theRetablo Mayor was the much venerated, ancient statue of Nuestra Senora del Pilar. The wooden icon of the Virgin of the Pillar was supposedly brought to the Philippines from Spain in 1643.
However, the statue's ivory heads and its cladding of precious metal point to a more local provenance.
Heavy-lidded eyes and the pairing of ivory with beaten and worked silver are hallmark traits of colonial Philippine Santo art.
The miraculous Virgen del Pilar is a survivor of Liberation for Manila as the war destroyed much of the church and its surroundings.
Today, the Virgin can be seen enshrined in the side retable of the present Santa Cruz Church.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A Question of Theology: In what part of the body does the Soul dwell?
Quite an absurd thought but funny how some way of thinking never changes.
Here's a very interesting chapter from Walter Robb's 1935, Romance and Adventure in Old Manila originally from a manuscript by Percy Hill.
XVII
A QUESTION OF THEOLOGY
In the year 1693 a trading goleta of the flag of Spain
picked up a shipwrecked boat near the town of Binangonan de Lampon.
In the boat was the decaying body of a man, and two Spaniards barely fit to be termed alive.
They were reduced to the last extremity, and proved to be the
only survivors of the crew of the Santo Cristo de Burgos, which,
having sailed from Cavite some months before, had foundered
at sea near the Marianas Islands. One of the unfortunates
had lost his reason: he became an object of charity at the San
Juan de Dios Hospital in the walled city of Manila. Here he
so constantly raved about eating human flesh that suspicion
finally fell upon his companion, who was arrested and put to
the confession.
He was a common sailor, his name was Juan Valencia. He
stated to the authorities that after the galleon had foundered,
he and five companions put off in a boat. Though it was poorly provisioned, they decided to put back to the Philippines; and
placing their trust in God and the Virgin of Antipolo, they used
both oars and sail. After three weeks their scanty provisions
gave out; but their small stock of fresh water was added to by
passing squalls; they caught the rain by means of an old sail.
The dead calms were the most difficult to withstand. Their
tiny craft tossed upon sickening swells between sea and sky.
But these swells occasionally supplied them with a few flying
fish, and once a huge sea turtle.
Day after day they voyaged over the illimitable ocean, looking in vain for a landfall. Literally starving, at last two of
their number slipped quietly overboard, in despair of ever seeing
land again. The remaining four ate their jackboots and belts to still the gnawings of hunger and stay the hand of death.
Finally it was decided to draw lots: one might die that the
others might live. Choice fell upon the youngest of all. After
he had confessed and made his orisons, he bravely submitted
to the knife and his body was divided by lot among the other
three.
In spite of this heroic sacrifice, one of the three, who
could not partake of such gruesome food, died of starvation. A
few days later the two remaining of the six who had put off
from the foundered galleon were picked up by the goleta and
brought to Manila.
Such was the sailor’s story.
The authorities, however, were not convinced that Valencia
was not a self-confessed criminal. They believed he should be
punished for cannibalism, although his statement was no more
unlikely than many a truthful account of those days, of men
who went down to the sea in ships. The ecclesiastics also
claimed that he was guilty of destroying a human soul, if not
actually partaking of it. He was therefore kept a prisoner
until his fate should be decided.
Governor Gongora was glad to refer this knotty problem
to the clergy, who claimed jurisdiction because of the destruction
of a soul.
The unhappy mariner was brought before them. He made
a favorable impression by his manly attitude and Catholic demeanor, even more than by the distressing circumstances in
which he found himself. But the argument of the sympathetic
though learned theologians rested on the fact that the eating of
a human body meant inevitably the destruction of a human soul.
Valencia repeated that he had only eaten the flesh to preserve
his life, and that the victim was resigned by lot. Asked what
portion of the body he had eaten, he replied that the feet had
fallen to his share. The question then arose, in what part of
the body did the soul dwell?
This was argued pro and con by the assembled divines.
The majority maintained that the soul occupied the whole body,
but the prior of the Franciscans wisely observed that if a good
man suffered the loss of an arm, it might go to paradise; and
if later he was so unfortunate as to die in mortal sin, the rest
of his body-might go to hades-which was too absurd to be allowed..
Finally it was arranged that the Faculty should consider
the theorem: Does the soul extend to the extremities; if not,
just where does it terminate?
The arguments in the ease were so prolonged and technically involved that the theologians were much perplexed, and at
last divided into two camps. They were in doubt as to
whether they should hang, by their honest decision, a good
Catholic, or canonize a reprobate and a cannibal. The pros
and cons, the ayes and nays, kept the monasteries in constant
tumult. Pronouncements buried in dusty tomes, precedents at
great length and wordy wranglings of medieval thought, promised to draw the matter out indefinitely.
Meantime the mariner preserved a righteous demeanor and awaited the outcome
with placid content. He did not, however, neglect the good
food provided him by the monastery cook, who determined that
as far as lay in his humble power the prisoner should have no
second pretext to commit cannibalism.
At length the weighty decision was handed down, by a
picked jury of the most learned. They agreed in the verdict
that the soul of man extends only to the knees: man is required
to kneel in prayer; ergo, that portion of the body that extends
below the knees is a soulless appendage. The indictment against
Valencia was accordingly stricken out. He was allowed to go
free, but as long as he remained in Manila he was the object of
curiosity as a Christian fortunate enough to have warded away
starvation at sea with the part of the body which had nothing
to do with the soul.
~
Romance and Adventure in Old Manila
Walter Robb
2nd edition, 1935
P.183-185
Here's a very interesting chapter from Walter Robb's 1935, Romance and Adventure in Old Manila originally from a manuscript by Percy Hill.
Ysidro Paulino
First half of the 1800's.
XVII
A QUESTION OF THEOLOGY
In the year 1693 a trading goleta of the flag of Spain
picked up a shipwrecked boat near the town of Binangonan de Lampon.
In the boat was the decaying body of a man, and two Spaniards barely fit to be termed alive.
They were reduced to the last extremity, and proved to be the
only survivors of the crew of the Santo Cristo de Burgos, which,
having sailed from Cavite some months before, had foundered
at sea near the Marianas Islands. One of the unfortunates
had lost his reason: he became an object of charity at the San
Juan de Dios Hospital in the walled city of Manila. Here he
so constantly raved about eating human flesh that suspicion
finally fell upon his companion, who was arrested and put to
the confession.
He was a common sailor, his name was Juan Valencia. He
stated to the authorities that after the galleon had foundered,
he and five companions put off in a boat. Though it was poorly provisioned, they decided to put back to the Philippines; and
placing their trust in God and the Virgin of Antipolo, they used
both oars and sail. After three weeks their scanty provisions
gave out; but their small stock of fresh water was added to by
passing squalls; they caught the rain by means of an old sail.
The dead calms were the most difficult to withstand. Their
tiny craft tossed upon sickening swells between sea and sky.
But these swells occasionally supplied them with a few flying
fish, and once a huge sea turtle.
Day after day they voyaged over the illimitable ocean, looking in vain for a landfall. Literally starving, at last two of
their number slipped quietly overboard, in despair of ever seeing
land again. The remaining four ate their jackboots and belts to still the gnawings of hunger and stay the hand of death.
Finally it was decided to draw lots: one might die that the
others might live. Choice fell upon the youngest of all. After
he had confessed and made his orisons, he bravely submitted
to the knife and his body was divided by lot among the other
three.
In spite of this heroic sacrifice, one of the three, who
could not partake of such gruesome food, died of starvation. A
few days later the two remaining of the six who had put off
from the foundered galleon were picked up by the goleta and
brought to Manila.
Such was the sailor’s story.
The authorities, however, were not convinced that Valencia
was not a self-confessed criminal. They believed he should be
punished for cannibalism, although his statement was no more
unlikely than many a truthful account of those days, of men
who went down to the sea in ships. The ecclesiastics also
claimed that he was guilty of destroying a human soul, if not
actually partaking of it. He was therefore kept a prisoner
until his fate should be decided.
Governor Gongora was glad to refer this knotty problem
to the clergy, who claimed jurisdiction because of the destruction
of a soul.
The unhappy mariner was brought before them. He made
a favorable impression by his manly attitude and Catholic demeanor, even more than by the distressing circumstances in
which he found himself. But the argument of the sympathetic
though learned theologians rested on the fact that the eating of
a human body meant inevitably the destruction of a human soul.
Valencia repeated that he had only eaten the flesh to preserve
his life, and that the victim was resigned by lot. Asked what
portion of the body he had eaten, he replied that the feet had
fallen to his share. The question then arose, in what part of
the body did the soul dwell?
This was argued pro and con by the assembled divines.
The majority maintained that the soul occupied the whole body,
but the prior of the Franciscans wisely observed that if a good
man suffered the loss of an arm, it might go to paradise; and
if later he was so unfortunate as to die in mortal sin, the rest
of his body-might go to hades-which was too absurd to be allowed..
Finally it was arranged that the Faculty should consider
the theorem: Does the soul extend to the extremities; if not,
just where does it terminate?
The arguments in the ease were so prolonged and technically involved that the theologians were much perplexed, and at
last divided into two camps. They were in doubt as to
whether they should hang, by their honest decision, a good
Catholic, or canonize a reprobate and a cannibal. The pros
and cons, the ayes and nays, kept the monasteries in constant
tumult. Pronouncements buried in dusty tomes, precedents at
great length and wordy wranglings of medieval thought, promised to draw the matter out indefinitely.
Meantime the mariner preserved a righteous demeanor and awaited the outcome
with placid content. He did not, however, neglect the good
food provided him by the monastery cook, who determined that
as far as lay in his humble power the prisoner should have no
second pretext to commit cannibalism.
At length the weighty decision was handed down, by a
picked jury of the most learned. They agreed in the verdict
that the soul of man extends only to the knees: man is required
to kneel in prayer; ergo, that portion of the body that extends
below the knees is a soulless appendage. The indictment against
Valencia was accordingly stricken out. He was allowed to go
free, but as long as he remained in Manila he was the object of
curiosity as a Christian fortunate enough to have warded away
starvation at sea with the part of the body which had nothing
to do with the soul.
~
Romance and Adventure in Old Manila
Walter Robb
2nd edition, 1935
P.183-185
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Old Santo Domingo's San Juan Evangelista
Santo Domingo's ivory San Juan Evangelista borne atop a silver andas, palanquin, during a Semana Santa procession in Intramuros, Manila. Behind the statue is a group of men carrying the symbols of the Passion and in the background is the old Manila Cathedral. 1900's.
The Philippines and the Far East.
Homer Stuntz
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Virgin of Smo. Rosario de La Naval
In 1593, Luis Pérez Dasmariñas commissioned a Chinese sculptor to carve a likeness of the Virgin and the Holy Child in ivory to commemorate and memorialize his father, Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas.
Both father and son served as Gobernador y Capitán General of the Philippines. The former from 1590 to 1593 and the latter, 1593 to 1596.
The man behind the icon. Luis Pérez Dasmariñas.
Under the direction of a Spanish captain, Don Hernando de los Rios Coronel, the pagan Chinese craftsman from Ilocos created a "native" Virgin. A virgin whose countenance reflected her country's beauty.
Almond eyes, high cheekbones and full lips, features that distinguish the Virgin of Smo. Rosario de La Naval from other Marian images in the Philippines.
The icon of the Madonna and Child, Luis had ordered to be rendered, would later become famously known as the Nuestra Senora del Santisimo Rosario de La Naval de Manila.
The wood and ivory statue is credited with numerous miracles. Perhaps the most famous of which, and why the "La Naval" was added to the Virgin's appellation, was the miraculous victory of the La Naval de Manila in 1646.
In the early 1600s, the Spanish colony of Manila soon found herself part of the Eighty years War that had started back in 1548 due to the Dutch Revolt against the King of Spain.
Earlier naval battles with the Dutch in the waters of the Philippines, resulted in Spanish victories. In 1646, however, Eighteen Dutch warships were sent to Manila to attack the colony and the city had nothing but two galleons, Encarnación and Rosario, to defend herself. In five succeeding battles, the small Spanish-Filipino armada, mostly manned by Filipino natives, fought and won over the Dutch mighty naval fleet. The unlikely victory is credited with the Virgin of Rosary, particularly with this "Native looking" statue of the Virgen.
In the coming centuries, the Virgin's popularity and miracles attributed to it, grew. In 1907, the Virgin was canonically crowned. The first image of the Virgin in the Philippines, and in Asia, to be given with such an honor. During WWII, the Virgin miraculously escaped the destruction of her temple in Manila.
Both father and son served as Gobernador y Capitán General of the Philippines. The former from 1590 to 1593 and the latter, 1593 to 1596.
The man behind the icon. Luis Pérez Dasmariñas.
Under the direction of a Spanish captain, Don Hernando de los Rios Coronel, the pagan Chinese craftsman from Ilocos created a "native" Virgin. A virgin whose countenance reflected her country's beauty.
Almond eyes, high cheekbones and full lips, features that distinguish the Virgin of Smo. Rosario de La Naval from other Marian images in the Philippines.
The icon of the Madonna and Child, Luis had ordered to be rendered, would later become famously known as the Nuestra Senora del Santisimo Rosario de La Naval de Manila.
The wood and ivory statue is credited with numerous miracles. Perhaps the most famous of which, and why the "La Naval" was added to the Virgin's appellation, was the miraculous victory of the La Naval de Manila in 1646.
In the early 1600s, the Spanish colony of Manila soon found herself part of the Eighty years War that had started back in 1548 due to the Dutch Revolt against the King of Spain.
Earlier naval battles with the Dutch in the waters of the Philippines, resulted in Spanish victories. In 1646, however, Eighteen Dutch warships were sent to Manila to attack the colony and the city had nothing but two galleons, Encarnación and Rosario, to defend herself. In five succeeding battles, the small Spanish-Filipino armada, mostly manned by Filipino natives, fought and won over the Dutch mighty naval fleet. The unlikely victory is credited with the Virgin of Rosary, particularly with this "Native looking" statue of the Virgen.
In the coming centuries, the Virgin's popularity and miracles attributed to it, grew. In 1907, the Virgin was canonically crowned. The first image of the Virgin in the Philippines, and in Asia, to be given with such an honor. During WWII, the Virgin miraculously escaped the destruction of her temple in Manila.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
N. S. de La Paz y Buen Viaje de Antipolo
Print, Victor Ancheta, 2003.
July 18 is the 383th anniversary of the arrival of the Virgin of Antipolo to the Philippines from Mexico. To commemorate this date, here's a reprint of a century old editorial, detailing the icon's history. The article originally appeared in the Manila American back in 1904.
Canonical Coronation of the Virgin of Antipolo,
Photo courtesy of Alex Castro.
OUR LADY OF PEACE AND PROSPEROUS VOYAGES
November 27, 1904
At a distance of about fourteen miles from Manila to the East is situated the delightful and picturesque town of Antipolo at an elevation of 285 metres.
The town with its 600 houses or more is built on a small plateau which opens toward the North. The church, famous throughout the Islands, occupies the highest part in the East, and from it a view, not to be excelled in any part of the globe, is obtained. The plain and city of Manila, with its numerous suburbs, Cavite province, the vast fields of Bulacan and Pampanga and far away on the horizon the mountain range of Zambales, Mariveles, the entrances to the bay and the heights of Sungay and Pico de Loro; and, coming from Taytay, about one mile distant, the panorama of Laguna de Bay, the great lake, spreads out before the traveler's eyes, its southern boundary showing those three unsurpassable mountains, Cristobal, Banajao and Banajao de Lucban.
Old Antipolo Church.
Antipolo, like most all of the towns of Morong and Laguna, owes its existence to the untiring zeal of the great and noble Franciscan Friars, whose entire existence is consecrated to the good of humanity, and who, as early as 1578, evangelized, civilized, and gathered into towns, villages and hamlets the savage natives of these provinces.
But the great and well-merited fame enjoyed by Antipolo is not so much due to its benign climate, picturesque location and health-restoring springs as to an image of ' Our Lady of the Angels,' guarded in its church and venerated to the utmost confines of the archipelago, and even beyond it, under the name of ' Our Lady of Peace and Prosperous Voyages,' and to which Governor Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuero gave, in 1639 or 1640, the title of Protectress and Admiral of the Fleet.
A Recuerdo from 1904.
Courtesy of Alex Castro.
This holy image of the Blessed Virgin, like so many numerous other benefits, the Philippines owe to their old metropolis, the vice-kingdom of New Spain, Mexico, the fairest country on earth. When Don Juan Nino de Tavora, a Galician nobleman and knight of Calatrava, appointed captain-general of this archipelago, arrived on his way to Manila at enchanted Acapulco, the mountain-enclosed seaport of the Aztec empire, he said his prayers and heard his Mass in the parish church of that jewel of the Pacific. Struck with admiration by an image of the Holy Virgin, its serene aspect and above all its indescribably beautiful eyes, full of love and triumph, he spared no means to acquire it for his new capital, Manila.
On March 25, 1626, the image of Our Lady was transferred with great pomp and ceremony aboard the galleon; the next day, March 20th, she set out on her long voyage, and the ship bearing the precious burden cast anchor on July 18th of the same year in Cavite. Great was the rejoicing when the happy news of her arrival became' known, and all vied with each other to do honor to the ' Virgen Americana.' A solemn and splendid procession, headed by the highest functionaries, civil and ecclesiastic, all the nobility, gentry, troops and an enormous concourse of natives, accompanied the representative of one of the divinest and purest cults of Catholicism to the Cathedral.
Shortly afterward the Virgin took up her abode in Antipolo, where she remained without interruption until the end of 1639. In 1639 the Chinese and Chinese mestizos arose in revolt against the constituted authorities, committing outrages and ravages without name, applying the torch to the hamlets and towns, destroying plantations and putting all who fell into their hands to the sword without distinction of sex or age. The savage horde also assaulted Antipolo and after a heroic resistance on the part of brave natives, who fought like lions, took it. Soon the flames kindled by the rebels did their work and Antipolo had ceased to exist. The church was only a heap of ashes and burned timbers, enclosed by bare walls, but in this shapeless mass the image of the Blessed Virgin and a wooden cross were found absolutely intact and perfect by the Spaniards and Indians.
The Virgin of Antipolo, lanced by the Chinese Rebels.
The Virgin, thrown into the flames by the Chinese, was found unharmed by the Spanish military.
Photos courtesy of Alex Castro.
The Madonna having been proclaimed Patroness and even Admiral of the Fleet, her statue was repeatedly carried over sea. Three or four times it visited its ancient shrine in Mexico. Alonzo Garcia commanded the galleon ' San Luis,' which bore the Blessed American Virgin in 1641 on her first visit home to the rich shores of Mexico, and with him she returned after a happy voyage to these Islands. Again in 1643, the same vessel set sail for the country of the Holtecs and Aztecs, with General Lorenzo de Ugalde Orella serving as knight to the Virgin of the Philippines, who now set out for the realm over which the Virgin of Tecoac, ' La Guadalupana ' reigns supreme over all hearts and minds.
The good ship ' Encarnacion ' left Cavite in 1645, with the Virgin of Antipolo as its admiral, and after a prosperous voyage returned laden with troops, treasure and merchandise, to the Pearl of the Orient, Manila.
The Virgin of Antipolo protecting the Spanish Galleons with their travels to America.
Photo courtesy of Alex Castro.
The galleon 'San Francisco Javier' took the celestial Patroness for the fourth time in 1651 to her beloved Acapulco, and there among the palms and fragrant blossoms of her own land she remained .until 1653. Having, as always, guided the vessel entrusted to her care safely back to Manila, on September 9, 1653, the Virgin of Peace and Prosperous Voyages, as she was named at about that time, set out to take up her former abode in the mountain recess of Antipolo. Indescribable was the joy with which her children welcomed their mother and well beloved. She was received with acclamations wherever she passed, and after a journey of twelve days, having been detained by the fervent inhabitants of Taytay nine days, Our Lady made her triumphant entry into Antipolo.
Photo courtesy of Alex Castro.
After her return she remained for eighty-five years undisturbed in the beautiful home which love and faith had built for her far away from the world's noise, traffic, hypocrisy and misery. Still her services as Patroness and Admiral of the Fleet were yet necessary. In June, 1746, borne by the faithful in procession, she was taken to Manila, and towards the middle of the same month installed as commander of the flagship ' Nuestra Senora del Pilar ' with which she sailed for the evergreen shores of Mexico.
A pious tradition says that the glories won by Don Andres Lopez de Azaldigui, with an inferior force and vessels, off Cavite, over twelve Dutch ships-of-battle on June 13, 1647, was due to the intercession of the Virgin of Antipolo. In this sea fight the Spaniards only lost one of their countrymen and fifteen Filipinos, but the Dutch suffered heavily in dead and wounded.
The Virgin of Antipolo protecting Cavite from the Dutch, 1647
Photo courtesy of Alex Castro.
Numerous are the legends about this image. The people firmly believe that Our Lady, preferring Antipolo to Manila and Cavite, several times abandoned these cities and was found installed in the flowery branches of the ' tipolo ' tree (Artocar- pus incisa), from which the town takes its name. To her are ascribed victories on the sea, the saving of lives and ships, and miracles countless."
The Virgin of Antipolo, help of the stranded.
Photo courtesy of Alex Castro.
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Glimpse Of San Ignacio In Its Full Glory.
The Jesuits' Lost Golden Dream may once again become a reality.
News of implementing a decades-old plan, spark excitement and new hope for heritage-conscious Filipinos. The plan to rebuild the church of San Ignacio seems promising. Spearheaded by the Intramuros Administration under Bambi Harper, the project calls for reconstructing the church and turning it into an ecclesiastical museum as Museo de Intramuros.
Known as the Jesuit's Golden Dream, San Ignacio church was renowned for its graceful façade and an interior beautifully decorated and richly clad in tropical hardwoods. One of the last churches to be built on Intramuros, it replaced an older church, La Compañia, that formerly belonged to the Jesuits before their expulsion from the Philippines and other Spanish colonies in 1767.
Ruins of La Compañia in Intramuros, Manila.
Built on Calle Arzobispo, San Ignacio church was designed by Filipino architect, Felix Roxas, whilst its interior was furnished by Isabelo Tampinco, Manuel Flores, Crispulo Hocson and other Filipino artisans. Agustin Saez, director of Escuela de Bellas Artes in Manila, contributed to the project by designing the retablos and pulpit.
The cornerstone of the church was laid on February 9, 1878 and was completed, inaugurated and consecrated 12 years after in July 27 - 30, 1889. (Reseña Histórica)
The church was a celebration of Philippine art. From its architect, to the artists that decorated it and to the materials it was made of, it was a treasure chest of everything Filipino.
San Ignacio was a source of pride for a country then beginning to develop a sense of patriotism. An obra maestra to the eyes of locals and foreigners, it was considered a must a see sight for any visitor in pre-war Manila, and even a popular wedding destination.
San Ignacio church met its demise during World War II. The war imposed its horrors to the country and San Ignacio was no exception. During the Battle for Manila in 1945, the church was razed by the Japanese.
Today a ruined shell, San Ignacio church awaits the time when it will arise from its slumber, so that once again, the Jesuits' Golden dream is a reality.
While we await for San Ignacio's eventual restoration to its former splendor, let's take a look back at its original form.
Let us start from the outside.
Filipino architect Félix Roxas who designed San Ignacio, opted for a façade done in the neoclassical style. (He had previously designed a Gothic church for Sto. Domingo in Intramuros, another beautiful church rich in history, grandeur and importance but also lost in WWII.)
The main element of the façade is the pediment. It is supported by four pairs of twin columns; the bottom columns are rendered in the Ionic order, while the top are in the Corinthian style. The use of twin columns in church facades has been described as distinctly Filipino.("The "City of God"")
Flanking the pediment are graceful, twin towers.
The walls separating the church compound from Calle Arzobispo are laced with wrought iron grilles and the posts are topped with ornate faroles.
Enter the church and the rows of arches and columns direct the faithful's gaze straight to the high altar, Retablo Mayor, designed by Agustin Saez.
Where San Ignacio de Loyola is enshrined - the founder of Compañía de Jesú, the Jesuit order and the church's patron saint.
Here, a triumphant San Ignacio is exalted into heaven by angelic hosts. This is the Apotheosis of San Ignacio all rendered in wood by Manuel Flores, a noted Filipino sculptor.
The tallado, carved, image of San Ignacio with an upturned gaze.
What might San Ignacio be staring at the ceiling? A vision of the Holy Spirit in a nimbus of glory captivates his ecstatic attention.
While the central apse above the Retablo Mayor is decorated with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, the adjacent crossing features a recessed, octagonal dome ornamented with medallions bearing the faces of Jesuit saints. ("The San Ignacio")
And radiating from the crossing, the church ceilings are coffered with exquisite panelings all rendered in wood.
The central nave boasts of larger panels,
each decorated with medallions, florid forms and foliage.
These exquisite artesonado ceilings are what made San Ignacio famous and much beloved. Isabelo Tampingco and his atelier rendered all of these in expensive Philippine hardwoods.
After craning our necks at the ceiling, we focus our eyes on the Retablo Menors and the doors nearby.
The Retablo Menors, side altars, are executed following Agustin Saez's plan ("The San Ignacio")and are dedicated to the Sagrado Corazon and Inmaculada Concepcion.
The altar to the Sagrado Corazon houses a Christ enveloped in a mandorla.
Manuel Flores shows Christ atop the world and with one hand pointing to his flaming heart, the other, outstretched to the the faithful.
And with a slightly bowed head, expressing compassion to all humankind.
While the icon of Inmaculada Concepcion smiles demurely and with downcast eyes showing humility.
This sensitive image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is carved by Crispulo Hocson, Tampingco's father-in-law. Hocson sculpted the Virgin with her usual attributes, identifying her as the Virgin of the Apocalypse: a mandorla, a crown, twelve stars encircling her head and a crescent moon at her feet.
But in his tender rendering, Hocson managed to make true the Catholic doctrine of the Virgin's immaculate conception, which this statue represents. She stands on a globe and with one foot trampling the serpent of paradise with its forbidden fruit, symbolizing that she is free from fault- the Virgin Mary unblemished from the stain of original sin.
The Virgin is enshrined in a side altar identical to her Son's.
And the side door near her altar is capped with her monogram.
Another much celebrated feature of San Ignacio church is its pulpit.
Designed by Saez and carved by Tampingco, the pulpit is renowned for its exquisite details. (Miller)
The stairs to the pulpit are covered with panels depicting the Four Evangelists: Sts. John, Matthew, Luke and Mark.
And the procession of the Evangelists leads to bas-reliefs showing the Descent of the Holy Spirit and Christ's Great Commission, where Christ instructed his disciples to baptize all nations under the Holy Trinity. The likeness of Faith, Hope, and Charity surround both scenes. ("The San Ignacio")
A group of angels struggle to support the entire pulpit.
From here, we say our goodbyes to San Ignacio and to his church and head for the door.
But before we do, let's send out a postcard to our friends, relatives and to ourselves in remembrance of this beautiful church.
Text, Victor Ancheta ©2009
"The "City of God": Churches, Convents and Monasteries." Life's a Journey. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2009..
Miller, George. Interesting Manila. 3rd ed. Manila: n.p., 1912). Interesting Manila. Web. 22 June 2009.
Reseña Histórica de la Inauguración de la Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola. Manila: Imprenta y Litografia de M. Perez, Hijo, 1890. University of Michigan, 17 Feb. 2006. Web. 22 June 2009.
"The San Ignacio." The Philippine Jesuits. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2009.
.
News of implementing a decades-old plan, spark excitement and new hope for heritage-conscious Filipinos. The plan to rebuild the church of San Ignacio seems promising. Spearheaded by the Intramuros Administration under Bambi Harper, the project calls for reconstructing the church and turning it into an ecclesiastical museum as Museo de Intramuros.
Known as the Jesuit's Golden Dream, San Ignacio church was renowned for its graceful façade and an interior beautifully decorated and richly clad in tropical hardwoods. One of the last churches to be built on Intramuros, it replaced an older church, La Compañia, that formerly belonged to the Jesuits before their expulsion from the Philippines and other Spanish colonies in 1767.
Ruins of La Compañia in Intramuros, Manila.
Built on Calle Arzobispo, San Ignacio church was designed by Filipino architect, Felix Roxas, whilst its interior was furnished by Isabelo Tampinco, Manuel Flores, Crispulo Hocson and other Filipino artisans. Agustin Saez, director of Escuela de Bellas Artes in Manila, contributed to the project by designing the retablos and pulpit.
The cornerstone of the church was laid on February 9, 1878 and was completed, inaugurated and consecrated 12 years after in July 27 - 30, 1889. (Reseña Histórica)
The church was a celebration of Philippine art. From its architect, to the artists that decorated it and to the materials it was made of, it was a treasure chest of everything Filipino.
San Ignacio was a source of pride for a country then beginning to develop a sense of patriotism. An obra maestra to the eyes of locals and foreigners, it was considered a must a see sight for any visitor in pre-war Manila, and even a popular wedding destination.
San Ignacio church met its demise during World War II. The war imposed its horrors to the country and San Ignacio was no exception. During the Battle for Manila in 1945, the church was razed by the Japanese.
Today a ruined shell, San Ignacio church awaits the time when it will arise from its slumber, so that once again, the Jesuits' Golden dream is a reality.
While we await for San Ignacio's eventual restoration to its former splendor, let's take a look back at its original form.
Let us start from the outside.
Filipino architect Félix Roxas who designed San Ignacio, opted for a façade done in the neoclassical style. (He had previously designed a Gothic church for Sto. Domingo in Intramuros, another beautiful church rich in history, grandeur and importance but also lost in WWII.)
The main element of the façade is the pediment. It is supported by four pairs of twin columns; the bottom columns are rendered in the Ionic order, while the top are in the Corinthian style. The use of twin columns in church facades has been described as distinctly Filipino.("The "City of God"")
Flanking the pediment are graceful, twin towers.
The walls separating the church compound from Calle Arzobispo are laced with wrought iron grilles and the posts are topped with ornate faroles.
Enter the church and the rows of arches and columns direct the faithful's gaze straight to the high altar, Retablo Mayor, designed by Agustin Saez.
Where San Ignacio de Loyola is enshrined - the founder of Compañía de Jesú, the Jesuit order and the church's patron saint.
Here, a triumphant San Ignacio is exalted into heaven by angelic hosts. This is the Apotheosis of San Ignacio all rendered in wood by Manuel Flores, a noted Filipino sculptor.
The tallado, carved, image of San Ignacio with an upturned gaze.
What might San Ignacio be staring at the ceiling? A vision of the Holy Spirit in a nimbus of glory captivates his ecstatic attention.
While the central apse above the Retablo Mayor is decorated with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, the adjacent crossing features a recessed, octagonal dome ornamented with medallions bearing the faces of Jesuit saints. ("The San Ignacio")
And radiating from the crossing, the church ceilings are coffered with exquisite panelings all rendered in wood.
The central nave boasts of larger panels,
each decorated with medallions, florid forms and foliage.
These exquisite artesonado ceilings are what made San Ignacio famous and much beloved. Isabelo Tampingco and his atelier rendered all of these in expensive Philippine hardwoods.
After craning our necks at the ceiling, we focus our eyes on the Retablo Menors and the doors nearby.
The Retablo Menors, side altars, are executed following Agustin Saez's plan ("The San Ignacio")and are dedicated to the Sagrado Corazon and Inmaculada Concepcion.
The altar to the Sagrado Corazon houses a Christ enveloped in a mandorla.
Manuel Flores shows Christ atop the world and with one hand pointing to his flaming heart, the other, outstretched to the the faithful.
And with a slightly bowed head, expressing compassion to all humankind.
While the icon of Inmaculada Concepcion smiles demurely and with downcast eyes showing humility.
This sensitive image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is carved by Crispulo Hocson, Tampingco's father-in-law. Hocson sculpted the Virgin with her usual attributes, identifying her as the Virgin of the Apocalypse: a mandorla, a crown, twelve stars encircling her head and a crescent moon at her feet.
But in his tender rendering, Hocson managed to make true the Catholic doctrine of the Virgin's immaculate conception, which this statue represents. She stands on a globe and with one foot trampling the serpent of paradise with its forbidden fruit, symbolizing that she is free from fault- the Virgin Mary unblemished from the stain of original sin.
The Virgin is enshrined in a side altar identical to her Son's.
And the side door near her altar is capped with her monogram.
Another much celebrated feature of San Ignacio church is its pulpit.
Designed by Saez and carved by Tampingco, the pulpit is renowned for its exquisite details. (Miller)
The stairs to the pulpit are covered with panels depicting the Four Evangelists: Sts. John, Matthew, Luke and Mark.
And the procession of the Evangelists leads to bas-reliefs showing the Descent of the Holy Spirit and Christ's Great Commission, where Christ instructed his disciples to baptize all nations under the Holy Trinity. The likeness of Faith, Hope, and Charity surround both scenes. ("The San Ignacio")
A group of angels struggle to support the entire pulpit.
From here, we say our goodbyes to San Ignacio and to his church and head for the door.
But before we do, let's send out a postcard to our friends, relatives and to ourselves in remembrance of this beautiful church.
Text, Victor Ancheta ©2009
"The "City of God": Churches, Convents and Monasteries." Life's a Journey. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2009.
Miller, George. Interesting Manila. 3rd ed. Manila: n.p., 1912). Interesting Manila. Web. 22 June 2009.
Reseña Histórica de la Inauguración de la Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola. Manila: Imprenta y Litografia de M. Perez, Hijo, 1890. University of Michigan, 17 Feb. 2006. Web. 22 June 2009.
"The San Ignacio." The Philippine Jesuits. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2009.
.
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