Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Philippines)
The Augustinian Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción or Iglesia de Santa María in the municipality of Santa María in the province of Ilocos Sur in the west of the northern Philippine island of Luzon is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary . She is one of the most historic churches in the country and belongs since 1993 as part of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines for UNESCO - World Heritage Site .
history
The city of Santa Maria, located on the west coast of the island of Luzon, was only a village until well into the 16th century, but it had a small chapel attached to the Augustinian monastery in the neighboring city of Narvacan ; this was visited at more or less regular intervals by a visiting priest . According to legends, the miraculous image of the Blessed Mother is said to have been kept in various places in the area before the chapel was built. Today's church was built around 1765 on a hill that was easily defended against Muslim pirates ; The construction of the free-standing bell tower (campanario) did not begin until 1810. Around 1863 the entire complex was surrounded by a wall; the bell tower was also restored because of its increasing inclination.
architecture
church
The unplastered single-nave brick church has three entrances and is almost 100 m long and a good 20 m wide; the outer walls are approximately 1.50 m thick. The nave is stabilized on the outside by mighty buttresses on the sides . The outstanding component is the facade secured by mighty stair towers at the sides , the middle section of which was additionally stabilized by protruding buttresses; Baroque vase attachments crown the side towers and the sides of the curved gable field . The suspended plaster ceiling slats in the interior is segmented arc-like curved and a maximum of 8 meters high - it hides the sight desursprünglich open but of bats and spiders occupied the roof truss . The eye-catcher inside are the three altarpieces in the apse and on the back wall of the nave.
Bell tower
The ground floor and the upper floor of the previously plastered four-story, approximately 26 m high bell tower consist largely of rubble stones ; the two middle floors, however, are made of bricks. The pagoda -like free-standing tower, built on an octagonal floor plan, ends at the top with a balustrade , behind which a dome is hidden. The windows or sound openings on four of its sides are open; the others are walled up - possibly for reasons of stability. The tower is slightly inclined due to the foundation damage.
literature
- Mike Aquino: Touring the oldest churches in the Philippines. 2013.
Web links
- Nuestra Señora de la Asunción - Photos + Information (English)
- Nuestra Señora de la Asunción - Photos + Information (English)
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 17 ° 21 ′ 59 ″ N , 120 ° 28 ′ 59 ″ E