Category: Arts, Places and Events
Intramuros is also one of the places that I love besides Vigan because of it’s historical setting and it’s ambience. They call it a city within a city because it was the capital of the city of Manila in the past . I always visit it with my family and friends and sometimes we have picnic in Fort Santiago or visit the well-known churches like Manila Cathedral and San Augustin or just have our own adventures around the establishment. Even though we have been there several times, it seems as though we always enjoy our visit every time.
Intramuros, a walled Spanish settlement is very big and encompasses 64 hectares. It was the political and commercial center under the Spanish regime (1571 to 1898). The walls, extending 4.5 kilometers in length, enclose a community of churches, schools, government offices, and buildings in Castilian architecture. We can really observe that this capital was really well planned. The location of the establishments was commendable.
Among the main sites in Intramuros are the Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral, Casa Manila, Puerto Real Park and San Juan de Letran College. Recent improvements led to the opening of a museum, a park, art galleries, an open-air theatre, fine restaurants, craft shops and souvenir stalls.
Fort Santiago used to be the seat of the colonial powers of both Spain and the U.S. It was also a dreaded prison under the Spanish regime and the scene of countless military police atrocities during the Japanese occupation. Here, too, Dr. Jose Rizal spent his last hours before his execution on Bagumbayan. (now Rizal Park).
Inside Fort Santiago is Rizal Shrine Museum, where we can find Rizal’s manuscripts and collections. It’s the place in Fort Santiago that we don’t miss visiting because it make us feel that we are again in the Spanish era. The museum looks like a Spanish house and the one’s we see in Historical movies. There are a lot of displays inside. There is even a room where the poem of Rizal was written and you can hear a recorded voice reading the poem in the background. There were also booths inside selling souvenirs and stuffs. I remember last time when we went there in the museum, we exited in the back door and ran like winged creatures above the large bricks until we reached the landing. We also went inside the dungeons and my sister and cousins pretended that we were prisoners moaning and asking for help. A view on the north side of the fort was wonderful because you can see the Pasig river and the canyons used during the Spanish era. The foundations wee made of bricks and expressed strength and antiquity.
The next stop, the San Augustin Church was built in 1571. A fine museum is attached to the church and is well worth a visit. Then, the visitor has the choice to walk on the walls of Intramuros on the way to Casa Manila museum, which puts in display the possessions and furniture of a wealthy Spanish family in the 19th Century. The Manila Cathedral is the second church that we can fin in intramuros and is the fifth stone church of Manila. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times. From the air, it appears as a giant cross.
Intramuros is really one of the places in our country that we should be proud of. We should remember that the memories of the glorious past of our nation is imbedded within those layers of bricks and gates that made up intramuros.
Intramuros, a walled Spanish settlement is very big and encompasses 64 hectares. It was the political and commercial center under the Spanish regime (1571 to 1898). The walls, extending 4.5 kilometers in length, enclose a community of churches, schools, government offices, and buildings in Castilian architecture. We can really observe that this capital was really well planned. The location of the establishments was commendable.
Among the main sites in Intramuros are the Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral, Casa Manila, Puerto Real Park and San Juan de Letran College. Recent improvements led to the opening of a museum, a park, art galleries, an open-air theatre, fine restaurants, craft shops and souvenir stalls.
Fort Santiago used to be the seat of the colonial powers of both Spain and the U.S. It was also a dreaded prison under the Spanish regime and the scene of countless military police atrocities during the Japanese occupation. Here, too, Dr. Jose Rizal spent his last hours before his execution on Bagumbayan. (now Rizal Park).
Inside Fort Santiago is Rizal Shrine Museum, where we can find Rizal’s manuscripts and collections. It’s the place in Fort Santiago that we don’t miss visiting because it make us feel that we are again in the Spanish era. The museum looks like a Spanish house and the one’s we see in Historical movies. There are a lot of displays inside. There is even a room where the poem of Rizal was written and you can hear a recorded voice reading the poem in the background. There were also booths inside selling souvenirs and stuffs. I remember last time when we went there in the museum, we exited in the back door and ran like winged creatures above the large bricks until we reached the landing. We also went inside the dungeons and my sister and cousins pretended that we were prisoners moaning and asking for help. A view on the north side of the fort was wonderful because you can see the Pasig river and the canyons used during the Spanish era. The foundations wee made of bricks and expressed strength and antiquity.
The next stop, the San Augustin Church was built in 1571. A fine museum is attached to the church and is well worth a visit. Then, the visitor has the choice to walk on the walls of Intramuros on the way to Casa Manila museum, which puts in display the possessions and furniture of a wealthy Spanish family in the 19th Century. The Manila Cathedral is the second church that we can fin in intramuros and is the fifth stone church of Manila. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times. From the air, it appears as a giant cross.
Intramuros is really one of the places in our country that we should be proud of. We should remember that the memories of the glorious past of our nation is imbedded within those layers of bricks and gates that made up intramuros.
Written by: Lani Diana Santo
Date: March 17, 2003
Date: March 17, 2003
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