The plaza is a standard structure in cities established by the Spaniards in the Philippines. This is usually anchored by a big church and then government buildings surround it. Plaza Salcedo in Vigan is no different from this standard template. In fact, this template is to be replicated countless times throughout the archipelago.
As expected, Plaza Salcedo is anchored by a church, in this case, the Vigan Cathedral. The church is designed with what is known as “earthquake baroque” architecture. Because of the Philippines location, earthquakes are common here so normal baroque architecture brought in by the Spaniard will not stand the sometimes violent earthquakes that hit the country. As a result, earthquake baroque architecture was born. Emphasis is put in ensuring the stability of the structure, as a result, the churches that were built have a fortress like feeling with their thick bases and butresses.
Vigan Cathedral is also known as St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral and is naturally the center of the city of Catholics. An interesting point about the Vigan Cathedral is that the bell tower is built separately from the the main cathedral. This is also a result of earthquake baroque. Interestingly, the bell tower is eight sided, reflecting Chinese influence at that time.
Also bounding Plaza Salcedo is the Archbishop’s House. This continues the template that all important structures are around the plaza area. The provincial capitol of Ilocos Sur in one side of the Plaza. Completing the plaza is the city hall of the city of Vigan itself. Needless to say, Plaza Salcedo is the hub of Vigan. On weekends, people would just relax and sit around the fountains of the plaza, a scene you can hardly find in Manila where malling is considered a weekend activity.
A bit of history, the plaza was named after the founder of the city of Vigan, the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo. He actually has a statue in the plaza. Juan de Salcedo was a part of the Spanish expedition that arrived in the Philippines, he spent most of his time in Northern Luzon and founded several Spanish cities along the way with Vigan as his home base. He also served well in repelling Chinese pirates from Manila when it was attacked.
I would admit that this is certiainly a very relaxed city, a far cry from the madness that Manila is. I don’t find it far fetched to spend a whole afternoon just sitting by the plaza and reading a book. Of course, if you are hungry, there is always that McDonald’s beside the plaza.
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