Just across the Casa Manila is one of the more remarkable structures in the country. This is San Agustin Church, the oldest church and building in the Philippines. Must like the story of the Three Little Pigs, the original building of nipa and wood in 1571 got burned down several times until the Spanish learned their lesson and started building a church made of stone. In 1607, the church was finally completed and it managed to survive several natural disasters such as multiple earthquakes that frequently rock the country and of course the bombing of Manila in World War II where miraculously, it was the only structure left standing.
The church is currently managed by the Order of Saint Augustine. The facade itself it quite unimpressive for such an important structure. Actually when it comes to old Philippine churches, the San Agustin Church is indeed rather drab. But wait until you go in the church the trompe l’oeil faux 3-D painting will surely blow you away. San Augstin Church is one of severla churches named as UNESCO World Heritage Site. The church is a popular place for weddings because of its impressive interiors and long aisle, prefect for a wedding march.
Beside the church, where a monastery once stood before it was wiped out by bombs, is one of the more interesting museums in the country. It houses numerous religious artifacts and it is a must visit whenever you are here. However, just my luck the church closes for lunch leaving me with no choice but to move on. I would have wanted to get some photos of the church interior but that would have to wait another day.
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Tags: church, Manila, Philippines, Saint Augustine, San Agustin, trompe o'eil, UNESCO, world
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