San Agustin Church

Source: trekearth.com

Have you ever heard something about San Agustin Church?

It was a long time ago when San Agustin Church was established, almost three centuries has past. With this characteristic, it was been prominent and famous in the entire Philippine archipelago. And, this was named as the oldest church in our country.

In 1976, the Philippine government recognized the church as a National Historical Landmark. Then on, 1993, the church became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The present structure is actually the third Augustinian church erected on the site. The first San Agustin Church was the first religious structure constructed by the Spaniards on the island of Luzon. Made of bamboo and nipa, it was completed in 1571, but destroyed by fire in December, 1574. A second church made of wood was constructed on the site. This was destroyed in February 1583, in a fire that started when a candle set ablaze the drapes of the funeral bier during the interment of the Spanish Governor-General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa.

The San Agustin Church is patterned after some of the magnificent temples built by the Augustinians in Mexico, its present edifice was built in 1587, and completed, together with the monastery, in 1604. This is located in Intramuros, a similarly historical place in Manila.