Baroque Churches of the Philippines

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/677

These four churches, the first of which was built by the Spanish in the late 16th century, are located in Manila, Santa Maria, Paoay and Miag-ao. Their unique architectural style is a reinterpretation of European Baroque by Chinese and Philippine craftsmen.

Églises baroques des Philippines

Ces quatre églises, situées dans les villes de Manille, Santa Maria, Paoay et Miag, et dont la première fut construite dès la fin du XVIe siècle par les Espagnols, sont représentatives d'un style unique en son genre où le baroque européen a été réinterprété par les artisans philippins et chinois.

الكنائس الباروكيّة في الفليبين

تقع هذه الكنائس الاربع في كل من مدينة مانيلا وسانتا ماريا وباواي ومياغ. أقدمها بُنيت منذ أواخر القرن السادس عشر على يد الاسبان. وتمثّل هذه الكنائس أسلوبًا فريدًا من نوعه حيث غيّر الحرفيون الفليبيون والصينيون في النمط الباروكي الاوروبي على طريقتهم.

source: UNESCO/ERI

菲律宾的巴洛克教堂

这4座教堂分别坐落在马尼拉、圣玛丽亚、帕瓦伊和米亚高，其中第一座由西班牙于16世纪后期建造。它们那独特的欧洲巴洛克式的建筑风格在中国和菲律宾工匠的手中得以再现。

source: UNESCO/ERI

Церкви Филиппин в стиле барокко

Эти четыре церкви, первая из которых была построена испанцами в конце XVI в., расположены в Маниле и городках Санта-Мария, Паоай и Миагао. Их уникальный архитектурный стиль – результат интерпретации европейского барокко китайскими и филиппинскими мастерами.

source: UNESCO/ERI

Iglesias barrocas de Filipinas

El sitio consta de cuatro iglesias situadas en las ciudades de Manila, Santa María, Paoay y Miag. La primera de ellas fue construida a finales del siglo XVI por los españoles. Todos estos monumentos son representativos de un estilo arquitectónico excepcional, fruto de la reinterpretación del barroco europeo por parte de los artesanos filipinos y chinos que participaron en su construcción.

source: UNESCO/ERI

フィリピンのバロック様式教会群

source: NFUAJ

Barokkerken van de Filippijnen

Deze vier kerken, waarvan de eerste door de Spanjaarden gebouwd werd in de laat 16e eeuw, staan in Manilla, Santa Maria, Paoay en Miag-ao. Hun unieke architectonische stijl is een herinterpretatie van de Europese barok door Chinese en Filippijnse ambachtslieden. De bouwstijl en het ontwerp werden aangepast aan de fysieke omstandigheden in de Filippijnen. De kerk San Augustin in Paoay is duidelijk op aardbevingen berekend, de klokkentoren staat op veilige afstand van de kerk. De kerken zijn gebouwd met lokale materialen en versierd met decoratieve motieven. Ze hebben een belangrijke invloed gehad op de latere kerkarchitectuur in de regio.

Source: unesco.nl

Baroque Churches of the Philippines

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

The Baroque Churches of the Philippines is a serial inscription consisting of four Roman Catholic churches constructed between the 16thand the18th centuries in the Spanish period of the Philippines. They are located in separate areas of the Philippine archipelago, two at the northern island of Luzon, one at the heart of Intramuros, Manila, and the other in the central Visayas island of Iloilo.

This group of churches established a style of building and design that was adapted to the physical conditions in the Philippines and had an important influence on later church architecture in the region. The four churches are outstanding examples of the Philippine interpretation of the Baroque style, and represent the fusion of European church design and construction with local materials and decorative motifs to form a new church-building tradition.

The common and specific attributes of the churches are their squat, monumental and massive appearance, which illustrates a fortress/protective-like character in response to pirates, marauders and to the geologic conditions of a country that is prone to seismic activities. The churches are made either of stone (tuff or coralline limestone), or brick, and consolidated with lime.  They display specific features such as retablos (altars) of high Baroque style – (particularly seen in San Agustin Church, Intramuros), in the volutes of contrafuertes (buttresses) and in the pyramidal finials of wall facades – (particularly seen in Paoay Church), in wall buttresses separating criptocollateral chapels –(particularly seen in San Agustin Church, Intramuros) and in the iconography of the ornately decorated naïf/folk pediment expressing the local understanding of the life of Christ and demonstrated by the use of local elements (papaya, coconut and palm tree reliefs), and the depiction of  Catholic Patron Saints (St. Christopher) dressed in local and traditional clothing (particularly seen in the Miagao Church).  The fusion of styles is also seen in the construction of bell towers that are either attached to the main church structure (particularly seen in San Agustin, Intramuros and in Miagao churches) or detached from the main church (particularly seen in Paoay and Sta Maria churches) and lastly, in ceiling paintings in the tromp l’oeil style (particularly seen in San Agustin Church, Intramuros). The Baroque churches reflect excellent site planning principles following the Ley de las Indias (Laws of the Indies) enacted by Philip II in 1563 for all newly-discovered settlements within Spanish colonial territories.

Criterion (ii): The group of churches established a style of building and design that was adapted to the physical conditions in the Philippines which had an important influence on later church architecture in the region.

Criterion (iv): The Baroque Churches of the Philippines represent the fusion of European church design and construction using local materials and decorative motifs to form a new church-building tradition.

Integrity

The churches’ important attributes comprising its architectural ensemble and manifesting the uniqueness of their style, are all within the boundaries of the property. All elements of significance identified at the time of inscription are still very much present and none are eroded, with their dynamic functions associated with religious significance intact and well-maintained.

The churches’ fabric, to a considerable degree is well preserved, although some parts may have deteriorated due to environmental conditions and the passage of time.

Although areas covered by the churches and their surrounding complex have been recognized during inscription, buffer zones in some of them were undefined.  The recent delineation of buffer areas provides an added layer of protection to the core initially identified.

Authenticity

The Baroque Churches of the Philippines of the ‘Peripheral Baroque Style’ have maintained its authentic features and admirable building technology that is reflective of church architecture of 16th-18th centuries Spanish colonial period Philippines A potential threat to the property is the possible reconstruction of portions of some of the churches’ original ensemble which were not present during inscription, in the effort to ensure that the churches continue to function to best serve their congregations.

The efforts by the government geared towards responsible restoration and conservation have resulted in the retention of the original materials and substantial features of the baroque churches.

The use of the Baroque churches as permanent sacred places devoted to acts of divine worship of the Catholic faith continues.

Protection and management requirements

Three churches and their land properties are legally owned, administered, and managed by their respective corporations sole while one church (San Agustin, Intramuros) is owned and managed by the Agustinian Order. The churches have been traditionally administered by church authorities and parishioners. Specific church Management Plans were not prepared at the time of inscription but the San Agustin Church in Intramuros is covered by the Management Plan of the Intramuros Administration. There is an overall management system where the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is the overall site manager. The NCCA works with its culturally affiliated agencies – the National Museum (NM) and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) who are the implementers of conservation and restoration projects.  Altogether the three agencies collaborate closely with the church authorities-owner of the property and with the stakeholders as well who are made aware of projects on the churches. The day to day management of the church is undertaken by the church authorities. There is a tri-partite agreement for the conservation and management of the World Heritage property as well as other nationally designated heritage sites. The main actors of the tri-partite agreement are the NCCA, the NM, the NHCP and the church authorities.

At the time of inscription, the properties had already been strongly protected by national legislation declaring them as National Cultural Treasures and as National Historical Landmarks through Presidential Decrees 260 and 375. The National Commission of Culture and the Arts provides for resources (funds) for its conservation, protection and regular maintenance.

The churches are presently covered and protected through RA 10066 (National Heritage Law) and RA 10086 (National Historical Commission of the Philippines Law). These legislations ensure their proper safeguarding, protection, conservation, management and use as religious structures, as declared National Cultural Treasures, National Historical Landmarks, and as World Heritage properties. A strong administrative protection system is in place through a Tripartite Agreement between the different national cultural government agencies while agreements between Church authorities and the Government have been entered into, especially the Accordo between the Holy See and the Republic of the Philippines on the Cultural Heritage of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, which was ratified on 29 May 2008. The Implementing Rules and regulations (IRR) of the 2009 Cultural Heritage Act of the Philippines, which is still in the process of being approved, states that the highest standards of conservation shall be applied to World Heritage properties and that its  authenticity, integrity and OUV shall not be allowed to be compromised.

Conservation and restoration are undertaken through offices under implementing national cultural agencies which ensure the regular monitoring of its state of conservation including its many concerns, threats and problems. The Canon Law on the pastoral care of the cultural heritage resources of the Church is likewise being applied by the Catholic authorities. The site manager of the Baroque Churches (NCCA) works with the NM and NHCP in ensuring that work is done according to World Heritage standards and in order to improve the conservation management processes so that the Outstanding Universal Value of the properties are maintained and properly managed. If in case repairs are done that involve the replacement of deteriorated parts, these are undertaken with care so that the replaced areas are differentiated from the original.

Both affiliated cultural agencies sit at the National Commission for Monuments and Sites (NCMS) as ex-officio members. A Technical Working Committee (TWC) has also been established within the NCCA composed of experts on conservation and its members ensure that the highest standards of conservation are afforded to World Heritage properties.  Both the NM and the NHCP are the implementers of projects in the Baroque Churches and they too sit as members of the NCCA, NCMS and TWC.

Involvement of local communities is strongly encouraged and they are considered important stakeholders where their views are listened to in consultative processes. Church authorities’ involvement in all aspects is vital and they also form an essential part of agreements to ensure that conservation is undertaken at their level, being owners of the properties.

Media

Baroque Churches of the Philippines (UNESCO/NHK)

NHK World Heritage 100 Series [Windows Media required]

News  (3)

UNESCO expert mission assesses recovery measures after Philippines disasters  Monday, December 16, 2013

Heritage protection efforts underway after natural disasters in Philippines  Monday, December 2, 2013

New Book on World Heritage Sites in the Philippines  Thursday, August 30, 2007

Events  (1)

Pamana: World Heritage in the Philippines  Sep 9, 2013-Sep 13, 2013

Links

View photos from OUR PLACE the World Heritage collection

http://www.tourism.gov.ph/sitepages/top10sitetogo.aspx

WHAT IS A WORLD HERITAGE SITE?

The World Heritage Convention defines types of natural, cultural, or mixed properties that may be inscribed on the World Heritage List. Natural properties are sites of intense beauty that maintain the environmental balance of a region or of the world, or sites that show a unique geological origin that was made from the formation of the earth. Cultural properties are man-made and demonstrate the highest achievements of human thought and creativity. There are also mixed properties, called “cultural landscapes” on the World Heritage List, that combine outstanding natural and cultural values resulting from constant interaction between people and the natural environment.

The World Heritage List includes five Philippines properties: Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, the Historic Town of Vigan, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, and the Baroque Churches of the Philippines – Santo Tomàs de Villanueva in Miag-ao, Iloilo; San Agustin in Paoay, Ilocos Norte; Nuestra Señora dela Asunción in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; and San Agustin in Intramuros, Manila. These World Heritage properties relate a chapter of the Filipino story. They confirm the abundance of nature in the country and illustrate how Filipino creativity blossomed into a unique national architectural style. Philippine cultural landscapes in the Cordilleras demonstrate the resourcefulness of man in adapting to nature and establishing a sustainable method of coexistence.

All the properties in the World Heritage List represent milestones in the development of life in the universe. Natural properties record stages in the evolution of the world. Cultural heritage records the progression of man’s ideas in terms of the built environment. Cultural landscapes demonstrate how the hand of man can coexist with and enhance its natural surroundings. Properties on the World Heritage List are the shared patrimony of the world.

1. Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, South Sulu Sea, Palawan
The country’s first inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 was the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park in Palawan, a distinction so appropriate for an island nation that traditionally looks towards the sea as a life-giving force, the traditional center of people’s lives. UNESCO recognized the site primarily for its importance to regional diversity, an outstanding distinction for the marine diversity known to exist in the Philippines. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee cited Tubbataha Reef as one of the most outstanding coral reefs in Southeast Asia, noting that in the 33,200 hectares of the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park lies an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species, a phenomenon unique in the world and a site of irreplaceable universal value. “Tubbataha” derives from two Samal words meaning “a long reef exposed only at low tide.” Tubbataha Reef, the only national marine park in the Philippines, is an underwater site consisting of two coral atolls with a 100-meter perpendicular wall covering an area of 10,000 hectares situated at the center of the Sulu Sea, about 150 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa City, and located in Cagayancillo. The Reef harbours a diversity of marine life greater than any other similar area in the world. The underwater abundance of Tubbataha is staggering. Marine biologists believe that its underwater gardens harbour a diversity of marine life that surpasses reefs of the same size in any other part of the world.
2. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Palawan
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park lies in the Saint Paul Mountain Range, 81 kilometers from the center of Puerto Princesa City, but is still within the city boundaries. The Park is a natural wonder. Its geological features are unique and the Subterranean River is said to be among the longest in the world measuring up to 8.2 kilometers. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is one of the few in the world that flow out into the sea from an inland source. It has been the focus of much curiosity and scientific investigation. The level of the freshwater river rises and falls with the tide up to a point of 4.3 kilometers. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park consists of various landforms. The most impressive are the mountainous limestone plateaus, geologically called karsts, that form the rugged landscape of the Saint Paul Mountain Range with elevations ranging from sea level to a maximum height of 1,028 meters. The topography of the property varies from flat plains to rolling hinterlands and hills to mountain peaks. The extensive rainforest of the Park is the habitat of diverse endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna. The mouse deer, calamian deer, Palawan bearcat, porcupines, skunks, wild pigs, flying squirrels, rats, bats, and monkeys are among the animals that inhabit the Park. Cave-inhabiting forms of reptiles, birds, and mammals dominate the animals. All of these endemic to Palawan: they exist nowhere else on earth.
3. Ifugao or Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Among the world heritage sites in the Philippines, the Rice Terraces of the Philippines Cordilleras have such a powerful presence that makes them one of the most outstanding places in the country. Lying high in the Cordillera mountain range, their setting cannot be replicated anywhere in the lowland tropical landscape of the Philippines – or even anywhere in the world, for that matter. High in the remote areas of the Philippine Cordillera mountain range, scholars believe, slopes have been terraced and planted with rice as far back as 2,000 years. Mountains terraced into paddies that still survive in varying states of conservation are spread over most of the 20,000 square-kilometer land area (7 percent of the total land mass of the Philippine Archipelago) that is in the Northern Luzon provinces of Kalinga-Apayao, Abra, Benguet and Ifugao. The improbable site is found at altitudes varying from 700 to 1,500 meters above sea level, where terraces are sliced into mountain slopes with contours that rise steeply. Existence in the Cordillera unites man with nature, and the unparalleled view shows how man has shaped the landscape to allow him to grow rice. The sheer majesty of the terraces communicates uniqueness and strength. Besides wind and rustling leaves, there is also the constant sound of water flowing downhill on the canals that irrigate the terraces. And there is nobleness in culture and environment expressed by the timeless tranquillity of the terraces. Most Filipinos regard the terraces as their greatest national symbol.
4. Historic City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur
During the height of the Spanish colonial era in the 18th and 19th centuries, Vigan or Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan was the third most important city after Manila and Cebu. It was the center of Spanish colonial power in northern Luzon. The range of structures along the plazas and streets reveals the story of the town. Large and imposing buildings evoke political or religious power. Grand homes speak of wealth, while others speak of more modest means. The architectural ensemble shows that Vigan was the political, economic, religious, and artistic center of the region. The town is a living testament to the Spanish colonial era, a place that exerts a strong cultural influence to the modern Philippine nation. More importantly, the architecture of Vigan relates the story of the Filipino, of how his constant exposure to foreign influences endowed him with the ability to adapt foreign ideas and combine them into a style that is uniquely his own. Vigan Survives as a unique representation of the adaptation process that the multi-cultural Filipino is so good at. Notable Vigan urban spaces and architecture includes its town plaza, Plaza Salcedo; Saint Paul’s Cathedral; The Arzopispado, an excellent example of a priest’s residence in an urban area; Saint Paul’s College; the Provincial Capitol Building; Simbaan a Bassit (Catholic Cemetery Chapel); Calle Crisologo, an impressive row of houses lining each side of a cobbled stone street; Burgos Museum; and the numerous Vigan Houses, undoubtedly Vigan’s treasures.
5. Church of San Agustin in Paoay, Ilocos Norte
The San Agustin Church in Paoay began its construction in 1604 and finally completed n 1710. This is one of the most outstanding “earthquake baroque” structure in the Philippines where the primary concern was to design the church for earthquake protection. The coral stone bell tower, standing at some distance from the church for earthquake protection, was finished in the second half of the 18th century. Philippine bell towers were constructed at a distance from the main church structure to avoid its falling on the church during earthquakes. The most outstanding feature of the church is the phalanx of buttresses that just out perpendicularly from the sides to strengthen the walls against earthquake damage. It has the most massive buttressing in any church in the Philippines. Fourteen S-shaped buttresses rise in rhythmic cadence from the ground reaching almost to the roof line. A pyramidal finial triumphantly tops each buttress. The visual impact of the San Agustin church in Paoay is unforgettable.
6. Nuestra Señora dela Asunción in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
Not following fully the traditional Spanish urban town plan of situating the church as the focus of the central town plaza, the location of the Nuesta Señora De La Asunción church and convent in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur standing alone on the crown of a freestanding hill encircled by a stone retaining wall gives it a citadel appearance. Its appearance evokes a Mediterranean hill town, the only example of such in the Philippines. Evoking a Chinese pagoda, the squat and massive bell tower of stacked octagonal shapes of decreasing diameter is crowned by a small dome. From any angle, the approach to the Santa Maria ensemble is magnificent. A stairway of 85 stone steps rises form the town to the small courtyard at the top of the citadel. On the opposite side of the courtyard, another equally grand stairway descends to a causeway built up over rice fields leading to a circular cemetery. Built of brick, the church has a monumental façade. The thick side walls are without ornamentation, but have delicately carved side entrances which are bolstered regularly by huge quadrangular buttresses, these are necessary structural reinforcements for earthquake protection. The power and simplicity of its geometric forms, and its location, make this an outstanding example of Peripheral Baroque architecture.
7. San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila
The San Agustin church is located in nostalgic Intramuros, Manila. During the 350 years of Spanish rule, Intramuros was the nerve center of the country. Even if Intramuros today is a ghost of what it originally was, the aura of Spain still lingers in its ruins. The interior of the San Agustin church is superb. Traces of the original wall painting done in the Mexican style can still be seen. The existing trompe l’oeil interior painting was done in the late 19th century that influenced the interior painting of many Philippine churches. The structural design of the church is extraordinary. It is said that the structure is supported by a raft type foundation that permits the entire structure to sway during earthquakes. San Agustin church also boasts of the only examples in the country of a barrel vault, dome, and arched vestibules supporting its choir loft, all made of stone. A monastery complex was once linked to the church by a series of cloisters, arcades, courtyards and gardens. Today the monastery and church are the repository of what is considered to be the most priceless Philippine collection of religious art, including the earliest dated retablo, wall paintings, pulpit, choir lectern, choir stalls and an important archive of books.
8. Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church in Miag-ao, Iloilo
Built of local yellow-orange sandstone, the large fortress-church was completed in 1797. The church withstood typhoons and earthquakes, but it burned twice: first was during the revolution against Spain in 1898 and the second was during the Philippine-American War a few years later. The church of Santo Tomàs de Villanueva in Miag-ao is among the best examples in the Philippines of the “fortress baroque” style. The church stands on the highest elevation of the town. The squatness of the church, the massive pair of bell towers and the angled buttresses strengthen its fortress image. The façade of the church is a Filipino masterpiece. Unknown master carvers incised its entire surface in the high relief. The sumptuous carving on the facade is probably the pinnacle of Filipino naïf where local craftsmen abandon all restraint to reinterpret western decorative styles in the local folk idiom. The church of Santo Tomàs de Villanueva is one of the best examples of the fusion of the western Baroque style embellished with Filipino folk motifs.

Come and visit these beautiful and world class sites. You will surely enjoy your trip in the Philippines once you have visited these UNESCO World Heritage Sites.