Take Me to Church "San Agustin Church" - Beautiful Sunday
My Share for #BeautifulSunday initiated by @ace108
A church which survived fire, multiple earthquakes and invasion. It is the oldest stone church in the Philippines which dates back from 1587. Located in Intramuros, Manila it is considered as a National Historical site and today it is a popular tourist destination. Join me today as I take you on a walk to see the...........
San Agustin Church
A popular church for weddings it is always fully booked and it would be very hard to get a schedule if you are planning to get married in this church. It was something I did not expect as it was the first time for me to visit the church. I was there at the right time as a wedding was about to begin. This beautiful scene of the bride who is about to enter the church is very dramatic. Lights would flood the church as soon as the doors are opened giving an angelic entrance for the bride.
Unfortunately since there is a wedding going on. Tourists are not allowed to come inside until the wedding is over. Something which did not bother me at all as there are a lot of details outside the church to keep me occupied.
During the Spanish colonial era this church was established in 1571 which was only made of bamboo at that time. It burned to the ground during an invasion and then was rebuilt with wooden material. Due to a candle during a funeral the church burned again and when it was rebuilt they used stone the third time around. It is also know that it is the only church that endured World War II.
Chinese lions guards the front of the church along with the statue of Saint Agustine. There were four statues of the Chinese lions and I know you would think why would there be Chinese statues in front of a Spanish church. This is answered with records of Chinese trade settlers who lived in our country during this era. There were Chinese workers who helped built this church. If you are interested to know more about the settlers feel free to visit my post from last SundayFinally the wedding was over and we were finally allowed to go inside the church.
There were still a lot of people as there was a baptism in progress.
The church is also adorned with French chandeliers which adds character to this place. Started out as a small church made from bamboo and evolved into bricks and stone with glamorous chandeliers is an amazing history behind it all.
There also sections on the side where religious figures are displayed. People light candles, pay their respects and pray.
Another highlight of this church is it's ceiling which is the Trompe l’oeil style. A three dimensional painting of the ceiling painted by Italian artist during the late 18th century. I never really noticed it from the start until my daughter @bearkid told me about it. Victorian design the details are spectacular and looks and feels like that the design is carved on the ceiling.
The work on the ceiling has been done for more than a year. The fee for the work is as told was around $154 which is a very large amount during that time.
Up on the balcony I noticed a pipe organ which captured my attention. I needed to have a closer look .
Up on the balcony is where the choir area was located. Beautiful seats for the choir and a large choir book in the center. Must have been heavenly to listen to the choir sing while the pipe organ played. Seeing all of these makes my head spin and my mind just drifts away imagining how the songs of the choir sounded like. The large pipe organ dwarfed me and it's roar must have echoed outside the church when it started to play.The view from the balcony is magnificent seeing those French chandeliers and the elaborately painted ceiling. The beauty was overwhelming not everyone appreciates these things but it has caught me and my heart races everytime I visit a church. This particular one is quite unique for me compared to the previous churches I have visited. Elaborately decorated and I even forgot to look for and focus on the painted glass which I so much adore.
Thank you so much for joining me today in this #beautifulsunday which I would say is very much beautiful indeed. Looking forward to visit more churches soon when given the chance and I hope if someone out there has the same passion as me. Please do leave some comments or suggestions which I would greatly appreciate.
Hope to see you again soon.
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All photos are original and taken with
Lumix GX85 and 12-32 mm
Give him a follow to witness an extraordinary person in this platform.
Discovering exceptional content in the community follow @curie and vote as witness
Follow @bayanihan where the impossible becomes possible thru unity
and have a glimpse of awesome content from the Philippines.
All photos are original and taken with
Lumix GX85 and 12-32 mm
and have a glimpse of awesome content from the Philippines.
All photos are original and taken with
Lumix GX85 and 12-32 mm
Lumix GX85 and 12-32 mm
A church that survives so many natural disasters you have to think there's some divine forces at work.
It is amazing how it was the only church that survived in the area. Thanks my friend.
You're welcome
This is amazing, I can't believe the structure has been there since 1587
When I read things like this, I suddenly develop the urge to visit such places at least to have a view of it
Makes my heart beat fast every time I visit churches and cathedrals. My favorite subject in photography .
What a beautiful building! I never would have guessed it was in the Philippines just from looking at the first picture. It looked like something you would see in Europe. The pictures were fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
It was my first time to visit the church I was blown away. Been living here all my life can't believe I never visited this place. Steemit pushed me to explore and feel more alive just seeing these sites.
Aweomse! That is very cool!
Thanks.
oh WOW! The architecture and designs are just soo amazing... I have never gotten a chance to visit a cathedral that looks like this. Maybe someday
It's an eye candy for me every time I visit churches. Give it a visit one day especially the very old ones. The feeling that you get is quite amazing especially where there is no one around.
Thanks for the pictorial tour, I do have a soft spot for these historical architectures. The attention to detail is not something we often see in modern buildings, which is a shame.
Correct it is something that is missing these days. Every corner, each ledge even the ceiling has it's own character which is very rare now these days. Time seems to move slower every time I visit historical places.
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