San Agustin Church | 1

SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH

I N T R A M U R O S

C at h o l i c c h u r c h i n m a n i l a

In Partial Fulfillment of
the Requiremnets in
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 2

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN OLDEST CHURCH IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF BATANGAS LIPA

PHILIPPINES
ABOUT THE COVER

To be Presented to
AR. BERNADINE M. ILAGAN,UAP

Submitted by:

BAUTISTA, ARIANE JOY R.

BOOL, JULIUS RAYVEN
Photo by:
Remar Lapastora

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 10 HISTORY The Agustian Friars
The Damaged Bell Tower
The Battle of Manila Bay
The Battle of Manila in 1945
The Renevated San Agustin Church

17 ARCHITECTURE
Architect

inside
San Agustin Facade
Interior of the Church
San Agustin Museum

50 TOMBS INSIDE
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 San Agustin Church also known
as the Archdiocesan Shrine of
Nuestra Senora de Consolacion y
Correa or the Immaculate Con-
ception Parish, is a Roman Catho-
lic church under the auspices of
the Order of St. Augustine, locat-
ed inside the historic walled city
of Intramuros in Manila. Com-
pleted in 1607, it is the oldest
stone church in the country.
In 1993, San Agustin Church was
one of four Philippine churches
constructed during the Spanish
colonial period to be designated
as a World Heritage Site by UN-
ESCO, under the collective title
Baroque Churches of the Philip-
pines.[2] It was named a National
Historical Landmark by the
Philippine government in 1976

CHURCH
SAN AGUSTINE

INTRAMUROS, MANILA
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S a n A g u s t i n C h u r c h
HISTORY
T he San Agustin Church was
under the auspices of the
Agustinian Order. The fri-
ars took the cudgels in building the
church. Like many structures during
that time, the church of San Agus-
tin was built with the use of nipa
and bamboo. The building of the
church started in 1571, it was then
officially named as Iglesia y Conven-
to de San Pablo.
THE AUGUSTINIAN FRIARS
I n 1574, the Chinese pirate, Li-
mahong invaded Manila. The
invasion led to the burning of
the city and the San Agustin Church
was not spared. This led to the first
reconstruction of the church a year
later. The second church was made
of wooden materials. Because of
the choice of the structural material
used, it remained risky to fire ac-
cidents. True enough, another fire
caused the destruction of the church
in 1583.
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THE BELL TOWER
DAMAGED
T he Augustinian friars made
sure not to commit the same
mistakes and so they decided
to build the new church using ado-
be stones. In 1586, they appointed
Juan Macias to lead the design and
construction of the church. It was
only in 1607 that the declaration
of its official completion was made.
The structure endured even on the
strongest earthquake that hit Manila
from the 16th to 17th century. The
only major damaged that the San
Agustin endured was the collapse of one of the church’s bell tower, which was then
permanently removed therafter.
THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY
B ecause of the church’s age, it has become a
witness to many significant events in Phil-
ippine history during the Spanish period. In
1762, during the Seven Year’s War, British forces
looted the church. In 1898, the church became a
venue for American and Spaniards to discuss and
sign the surrender of Manila to the Americans.
During the Second World War, the Japanese forc-
es turned the San Agustin Church into a con-
centration camp for prisoners. As the Battle of
Manila in 1945 draw to close, the Japanese held
hostage priests and hundreds of residents inside
San Agustin Church | 11
 the church. To drive out the remaining Japanese, American and Filipino forc-
es conducted an air raid inside Intramuros. The bombardment led to the death
of several civilians. After the shelling of Intramuros, structures in the walled city
was reduced to rubbles but the San Agustin Church remained one of the standing
churches after the war.

THE BATTLE OF MANILA IN 1945

I n 1945, the San Agustin Church became the seat of the Immaculate Con-
ception Parish. The archbishop of Manila requested for the transfer of the
seat of parish from the Cathedral to the San Agustin Church. After the
war, the church also became the host of the first Philippine Plenary Council.
In 1976, the government recognized the church as a National Historical Land-
The pews in the nave of San Agustin are in a mess. The church became a
hospital and later an internment camp.

mark for its contribution to the country’s nationhood. The Republic Act No. All of Manila was reduced in rubbles. Important districts of the city were gone
10066 or National Cultural Heritage act of 2009 tasked the National Center such as Sta. Cruz, Binondo, Ermita, and Tondo. Intramuros was the most devastated
for Culture and the Arts to conserve the church. district with almost all buildings wiped out. Only San Agustin was left standing.

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 San Agustin after the liberation. San Agustin was
the only structure in Intramuros
left standing

American GIs pause for a prayer in front of THE RENOVATED SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH
San Agustin during the Battle of Manila.
I n 1993, the San Agustin Church was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Other Philippine churches included were the Nuestra Seíora de la Asuncion in Ilo-
cus Sur, the San Agustin Church in Ilocos Norte and the Santo Tomas de Villanueva
Church in Iloilo. These Spanish era churches were classified under Baroque Churches of
the Philippines.

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 ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTURE
The churches built by the Augustinians in Mexico served as a model for
the San Agustin Church in Manila, although adjustments had to be made
for the local weather conditions and the quality of the building material
quarried in the Philippines.

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 T he San Agustin Church
is patterned after some
of the magnificent tem-
ples built by the Augustinians
in Mexico. The present edifice
was built in 1587, and com-
pleted, together with the mon-
astery, in 1604. The atmos-
phere is medieval since “both
church and monastery symbol-
ize the majesty and equilibri-
um of a Spanish golden era.”

The massive structure of the

church is highlighted by the
symmetry and splendor of the
interiors (painted by two Ital-
ians who succeeded in produc-
ing trompe l’oeil) the profile
of the mouldings, rosettes and
sunken panels which appear as
three-dimensional carvings, a
baroque pulpit with the native
pineapple as a motif, the grand
pipe organ, the antechoir with a
16th-century crucifix, the choir
seats carved in molave with
ivory inlays of the 17th centu-
ry and the set of 16 huge and
beautiful chandeliers from Paris

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J

JOHN MACIAS
ohn Macias, O.P. (Spanish San Juan
Macias alt. sp Massias) (2 March 1585
Ribera del Fresno, Extremadura, Spain
September 16, 1645, Lima, Viceroyalty of
Peru), was a Spanish-born Dominican Fri-
ar who evangelized in Peru in 1620. He
was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI.
His main image is located at the main altar
of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosa-
ry of Lima and is venerated by the local
laity in Peru. A church was built in his
honor in 1970 in San Luis, Lima, Peru.

H e was born Juan de Arcas y Sanchez

on March 2, 1585 in the small town
of Ribera del Fresno, Extremadu-
ra which was under the jurisdiction of the
Palencia Diocese, to Pedro de Arcas and Jua-
na Sanchez. His parents were poor farmers;
both died when Juan and his sister Mary were
young. Juan was but four years old. The two
children were raised by their uncle whose
last name, “Macias,” they took as their own.
His uncle trained him as a shepherd. Juan
would pass the long hours saying the rosary.

architect
W hen he was about 16 years old,
Macias met a Dominican fri-
ar while attending Mass in a
neighboring village, and he began to con-
sider the possibility of becoming a Domin-
ican. It is said that as he began to seek
God’s will for his life; he was frequent-
ly visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary and
by his patron, St. John the Evangelist.
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San Agustin’s
richly carved
exterior portals
J ust before one enters San Agustin,
one is already introduced to the
massive and richly carved portal
bearing the symbols of the Augustinian
order as well as the carvings of the or-
der’s founder and his mother. It awes.
Its rocaille embellishments, said to be
a characteristic of Rococo, a successor
to the Baroque style, are highly styl-
ized forms of leaves, rocks and shells.

D etails of the main door in-

cludes familiar Augustinian
symbols: left, Saint Augus-
tine; middle left, a close up of view
of St. Monica, the mother of the saint;
middle right, the bishops mitre and
right, the pierced heart. These motifs
can also be seen in the church doors
in Hagonoy and Angat in Bulacan.

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 S
T.
A
A t the side of the church is another
well carved but smaller portal. The
motif are almost the same except
for the saints that are carved on the lower
that these doors were opened was on
February 1945 when Japanese soldiers
let out 3,000 hostages. Before the
war, newly weds are said to exit the
G
part: middle, St. Rita of Cascia holding a
skull and right, St. Nicolas Tolentine. Ga-
lende wrote that the last memorable time
church to their waiting car at this door.

U
S
T
I
after the end of WWII showing American
soldiers hearing mass outside the church)
where they stood guard and gunned
N
D uring World War II, the occupy-
ing Japanese soldiers sawed off the
lower right portion of the main
door (archival photo at left taken shortly
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down whoever passes the patio. Now, one
can still see the cut (circled in red) but
can easily be missed if not seen closer. E Near the front door a statue of St Augustine
San Agustin Church | 25
C HINESE
“FU”DOGS
T he compromises led
to a rather simple
facade by the Ba-
roque standards of the time,
though the church is not
entirely bereft of details:
Chinese “fu” dogs stand in
the courtyard, a nod to the
Chinese cultural presence in
the Philippines, and beyond
them, an intricately-carved
set of wooden doors.

C hinese fu dogs/lions
guard the portals
and the patio of San
Agustin: four located at the
facade with one (not shown)
have a broken part of the
head, and two at the front
T here are only a few churches
left in the country that still have
these. sanagustinfence.jpgTo cite:
Tayabas in Quezon and Sto. Nino and
the Cebu Cathedral in Cebu. The same
blend of the oriental and the occiden-
tal has been shown previously in the
post about the facistol and misericordias.

entrance of the low fence
around the patio. One fig-
ure is holding its baby while
two other figures seem to be
playing and holding a ball.
These are interesting since
these are clearly Chinese in
origin but is part of a Chris-
tian religious structure.
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O
ne other notable element found
at the patio is the low fence sur-
rounding it. It is made of adobe
blocks and bricks. The right angled style
is not so common but can be seen in
other churches like in Samboan, Danao,
Ginatilan and Oslob in Cebu; San Vicente
in Ilocos Sur; Piddig in Ilocos Norte.
San Agustin Church | 27
 interior
CHURCH MARKER
In 1993, San Agustin Church was one of four Philippine churches con-
structed during the Spanish colonial period to be designated as a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO, under the collective title Baroque Churches of
the Philippines. It was named a National Historical Landmark by the
Philippine government in 1976.

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 SPLENDID BARREL
VAULT AND DOME
I n 1875 two decorative scenographic painters who had recently come to Manila
from Italy, Giovanni Dibella and Cesare Alberoni, were engaged at Intramuros by
the Augustinian Prior, Jose Ibeas O.S.A.. These artists worked on the ceiling of
the Church for fifteen months. The amount allocated for the task was 6,000 pesos,
T he splendid barrel vault and dome of the church helped to magnify the skills
of two Italian decorative painters. On to that untextured and plain surface,
they managed to sculpt and give life to the ceiling with their paint brushes
by giving an illusion of three dimensions. Masters of a “shadow” effect, they filled
every space with wonderful floral motifs, geometric patterns, classic architectural
but this was later increased to 8,000 persos in order to expedite the completion of
the project. Their work resulted in a superb trompe l’oeil vault with floral patterns, themes, coffers, and religious images. They successfully achieved this on the trompe
geometric outlines, classic themes and religious images. l’oeil ceiling in a way that highlighted the spatial geometry of the church.
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 Main
AltaR
A t the far end of the church in-
terior is the presbitery where
one can find the altar may-
or or main altar. It is made of cara-
ra marble and was installed in 1934
which replaced the original made of
wood.

W ithout a doubt, the Church of San Agustin has one of the most artisti-
cally decorated interiors among all of the old colonial churches in the
Philippines. The painting scheme of Dibella and Alberoni covered an
earlier painting scheme in crimson, blue, yellow, and gilt, more akin to Mexican
T he huge retablo just behind
it catches the eye. Its top is
crowned by the image of the
Holy Spirit in the form of a dove
with Saint Augustin at the lower
colonial styles. Remnants of this earlier painting was discovered when the pipe or- center dressed in white robes flanked
gan of San Agustín was dissembled for restoration. A portion of this older colour by two angels. The grand niche contains the statue of St. Paul (done in 1928, the
scheme can now be seen through a glass window cut in the restored organ’s pipe original was made of wood), the church’s titular patron
box.

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 The Beauty Inside A STONE VAULT SUPPORTS CHOIR LOFT

CHOIR AREA AT 2ND FLOOR

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 T he San Agustin Church
measures 67.15 meters
long and 24.93 meters
wide. Its elliptical foundation
has allowed it to withstand
the numerous earthquakes that
have destroyed many other
Manila churches. It is said that
the design was derived from
churches built by the Augus-
tinians in Mexico. The facade
is unassuming and even crit-
icized as “lacking grace and
charm”, but it has notable
baroque touches, especially the
ornate carvings on its wooden
doors. The church courtyard
is graced by several granite
sculptures of lions, which had
been gifted by Chinese con-
verts to Catholicism.

The church interior is in the

form of a Latin cross. The
church has 14 side chapels and
a trompe-l’il ceiling painted in
1875 by Italian artists Cesare
Alberoni and Giovanni Dibel-
la. Up in the choir loft are
hand-carved 17th-century seats
of molave, a tropical hard-
wood.

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 SAN AGUSTIN
MUSEUM
FOUR CENTURIES OF
FAITH, ART AND HISTORY

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 garden

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 THE MUSEUM OF THE SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH

T he church’s former monastery now houses the museum: a collection of re-

ligious artwork, relics and ecclesiastical props used throughout the church’s
history, the oldest pieces dating back to the founding of Intramuros itself.

The only surviving piece from a bell tower damaged by an earthquake stands guard
at the entrance: a 3-ton bell inscribed with the words, “the Most Sweet Name of
Jesus”. The receiving hall (Sala Recibidor) now houses ivory statues and jeweled
church artifacts.

As you visit the other halls in turn, you’ll pass by oil paintings of Augustinian saints,
as well as old carriages (carrozas) used for religious processions. Entering the old
Vestry (Sala de la Capitulacion, named after the terms of surrender negotiated here
in 1898) you’ll find more church paraphernalia. The succeeding hall, the Sacristy,
showcases more prosaic items - Chinese-made chest drawers, Aztec doors, and more
religious art.

Finally, you’ll find the former refectory - a former dining hall that was later
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 converted into a crypt. A me-
morial to the victims of the
Japanese Imperial Army stands
here, the site where over a
hundred innocent souls were
killed by retreating Japanese
forces.

Up the staircase, visitors can

visit the monastery’s old li-
brary, a porcelain room, and a
vestments room, along with an
access hall to the church’s choir
loft, which bears an ancient
pipe organ.

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 chalices and reliquaries made of pre-
cious metals and encrusted with gem-
stones. With every turn, a visitor to
San Agustin will come across something
beautiful, interesting, or even surprising.
But beyond displaying artworks and arti-
facts, San Agustin also strives to preserve
the story of the Augustinians. In narrating
the friars’ rich and colorful history, the
museum prevents their names, lives and
invaluable contributions from being lost in
the tangled narratives of the country’s past. Delicately carved ivory fan in the Sala Recebidor

Given its extensive collection and his- 18th-century Baroque

altar in the
torical value, it is no wonder why San
LITURGICAL VESTMENTS IN THE Agustin Museum is a magnet for lovers

ANTIGUA SACRISTIA of both art and history. With its quaint

Refectorio
and peaceful surroundings, it also of-
By: Roy Tristan G. Lugod fers refuge from the chaos of the city.

T he museum is housed in the Augus-

tinians’ former monastery, right be-
side the famed San Agustin Church.
First built in the late 16th century, the mu-
seum building has undergone numerous ren-
ovations over the years, including extensive
restoration after World War II left it in
near ruin, and a more recent renovation.

Today, a thoroughly modernized San

Agustin utilizes advanced technolo-
gy to protect and display its exhibits.

Inside, the visitor can view religious works

from the Spanish colonial period in all
their splendor. Galleries lining the muse-
um’s ancient corridors feature four centu-
ries’ worth of artifacts, from enormous,
intricately carved cabinets used to store An exquisitely crafted 19th-century gold chalice in the
Antigua Sacristia
the clergy’s silken vestments, to priceless
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 TOMBS INSIDE
AGUSTIN CHURCH

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 T he church contains
the tomb of Spanish
conquistadors Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi, Juan de
Salcedo and Martín de Goi-
ti, as well as several early
Spanish Governors-General
and archbishops. Their bones
are buried in a communal
vault near the main altar. The
painter Juan Luna, and the
statesmen Pedro A. Paterno
and Trinidad Pardo de Tav-
era are among the hundreds
of laypersons whose re-
mains are also housed with-
in the church. San Agustin
Church also hosts an image
of Our Lady of Consolation
(Nuestra Senora de Con-
solacion y Correa), which
was canonically crowned by
Manila Archbishop Cardinal
Jaime Sin in 2000.

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 TOMBS INSIDE
AGUSTIN CHURCH
I t was the practice in previous centu-
ries that the mortal remains of, usu-
ally, prominent persons were buried
inside the church. This was so since these
families were patrons or benefactors who,
Lopez de Legazpi. Unfortunately, dur-
ing the British invasion, they ransacked
the tombs to look for hidden treasures
that when the Augustinian friars re-
claimed the church after the British left,
in one way or another, contributed to it was mixed with the other remains.
its construction, donated precious jewels,
saints, vestments and other church deco-
rations or even paid for the upkeep of a
chapel. In some instances, they sponsored
the priests who were assigned there. In
The cryptocollateral chapels were
usually paid for by patrons thus,
more tombstones can be seen
with many of these with intricately
carved lapidas (above right). One of the
some other instances, they paid for the
chapels, the Chapel of the Assumption,
chapel or a slot for their final resting place.
was obtained by the Zobel de Ayalas,

S
Sorianos and Roxases families around
an Agustin is no exception. When
1893 and now hold their remains
one enters the church , at the lob-
by or narthex and looking down,
one would notice that a part of the floor
have inscriptions, just like lapidas. Per-
haps, the most prominent person interred
in the church is that of the founder of
the city of Manila: Adelantado Miguel

Graves of other prominent

people at the church’s floor
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 THE MORAL REMAINS OF LEGAZPI ET AL AT ONE OF THE SIDE CHAPELS OF THE CHURCH

ADELANTADO MIGUEL
LOPEZ DE LEGAZPI
“
Now in the Legazpi chapel, a memorial is posted:

IN MEMORIAM Aqui yacen los restos mortales del Adelantado

Legaspi y su nieto Salcedo, Lavezares, Beato P. Pedro de Zuniga y
otros heroes de la conquista. Los que aventados por los Ingleses en
1762. Confundidos y revueltos fueron colocados por los P. P. Agus-
tinos en esta capilla

“
This translates to:

IN MEMORY Here lies the mortal remains of Adelantado Legazpi

and his grandsons Salcedo, Lavezares, Blessed Pedro de Zuniga, and
other heroes of the Conquest; the British defiled them in 1762; the
Augustinian Fathers relocated them here without any identification.

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