Forts and Lighthouses of Manila

Forts

• Stone forts could include:
• living quarters for soldiers
• a jail
• a foundry
• warehouses for powder, provisions, and ammunition
• a well
• a chapel

Lighthouses

• Bangui Lighthouse in Ilocos Norte guards Cape Bojeador
• Palauig Island Lighthouse in Cagayan guards Cape Engaño
• Corregidor Lighthouse guards the entrance to Manila Bay
• Capul Island Lighthouse guards the San Bernardino Strait

Intramuros, Manila

• Known as the "Walled City" or "within the walls" (Latin)
• Occupies a pentagonal area of 64 hectares
• Consists of two parts:
• Military establishment at the mouth of the Pasig River (Fort Santiago)
• Citadel or Walled City
• Intramuros comprises several parts:
• Fronts facing the sea and river
• Three-sided land front with its comprising bastions
• Santiago Castle (Fort Santiago), a citadel built at the sharpest angle between the river and the bay

Fort Santiago

• Most important and oldest fortification built in Manila
• Consists of:
• Falsabraga: a low rampart built in front of the main fortification
• Fortins or reductos: small forts or redoubts
• Cortina: a curtain wall that linked bastions together
• Revellin: an outer fortification that protects the gate
• Bastion: a protruding structure with facing flanks built along the cortina
• Foso: a moat
• Escarpa: a scarp, embankment of a moat

Additional Terminologies

• Adarve: a flat area behind the parapet for maneuvers
• Baluarrtillo: small bastions that house chambers for military supplies
• Baluarte De San Diego: a bastion
• Contraguardia: a V-shaped wall similar to the media luna placed in the front of the bastion
• Capila Real: Royal Chapel
• Garita: a sentry post
• Maestranza: a military arsenal
• Parian: a Chinese market
• Plaza de la Fuerza (Fortress Plaza) or Plaza Moriones: a public promenade
• Postigo: a small gate that serves as an emergency egress

Ecclesiastical Architecture

• Religious orders played a decisive role when the Spaniards reached the Philippines
• Religious orders filled Intramuros with churches, monasteries, and convents that also performed social and welfare functions
• Baroque churches of the Spanish colonial period are the most emblematic element of the country's architectural heritage

Religious Orders in the Philippines

• Augustinians: arrived with the Legazpi expedition in 1571
• Franciscans: arrived in 1578
• Jesuits: arrived in 1581
• Dominicans: arrived in 1587
• Augustinian Recollects: arrived in 1606
• Christian nuns from Japan: led by Lady Julia Naito, arrived in 1614
• Santa Clara nuns: arrived in 1621
• Beaterio Sta. Catalina: recognized in 1696
• Hospitallers of God: arrived in 1641
• Beaterio de la Compañia de Jesus: arrived in 1684
• Capuchins: arrived in 1886

Church Designs

• Augustinian churches: characterized by architectonic monumentality, fortress-like qualities, and size was dependent on the amount of tributes collected
• Dominican churches: can be found in Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions and are often made of bricks consolidated with lime-based mortar and plaster
• Jesuit and Recollect churches: can be found in the Southern part of the Philippines and they use limestone and coralline stone

Monasteries

• Monasteries served as headquarters for the religious in certain areas and had many rooms
• Four-sided in plan with cloisters enclosing an inner courtyard or atrium and a garden where the friars could meditate
• Parts of a monastery include:
• Proteria: an office where records are kept, schedules are arranged, and religious prayer books are sold
• Recibidor: a room or area where the friars meet their guests
• Refecterio: a dining area for meals
• De profundis Room: where residents prayed for their deceased companions and benefactors
• Wing adjoining the church: reserved for the sacristy
• Living quarters and recreation rooms: were on the second floor

Notable Churches

• PAOAY CHURCH, Ilocos Norte (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993)
• Began in 1699 by Augustinian priest, Fr. Antonio Estavillo; completed between 1702-1710
• Its bell tower was made of coral stones and lime powder with molasses by volutes
• BARASOAIN CHURCH, Malolos (Declared a National Historical Landmark in 1973)
• The present structure was started in 1885 by Augustinian Fr. Juan Giron and a builder named Magpayo from the ruins of the old church destroyed by the 1880 earthquake
• TAMAUINI CHURCH, Isabela (One of the National Heritage Museums of the Philippines)
• Construction began in 1705 by Dominican Domingo Forto and town mayor Pablo Siason
• The focal point of the facade is a circular pediment enhanced by a colored glass window framed by molded floral garlands
• The circular bell tower contrasts in color and texture because of its white limestone finish
• SAN SEBASTIAN CHURCH, Manila (declared a National Historical Landmark in 1973)
• The present church was designed by Genaro Palacios, a government engineer after the 1880 earthquake
• Gothic style minus the flying buttresses, lancet arches, fan vaults, stained glass, and rose windows
• The first prefabricated structure erected in the Philippines; made entirely of steel transported from Belgium to Manila; the interior was painted to resemble faux marble

Domestic Architecture (Filipino Houses)

• Bahay Kubo: the archetype for domestic architecture during the Spanish regime
• Bahay na bato: a type of construction called "arquitectura mestiza" or "mixed architecture" by Jesuit Ignacio Alzina
• Bahay kastila: a Spanish-style house with a solid stone or brick foundation and an elevated wooden upper story
• Bahay na tisa or balay tisa: a house of tile

Characteristics of Bahay na bato

• Structural Elements:
• Stone walls may be made of adobe, marble, limestone, volcanic tuff, granite, brick, or river stones with mortar made of a mixture of lime, sand, and water
• Clay tiles and nipa were used as roof covering
• Form:
• Ground Floor: made of cut stone or brick almost 1 meter thick, bounded with mortar
• Second Floor: supported by huge wooden pillars
• Roof: high hipped or pyramidal roof made of thatch or clay tiles
• Windows:
• Ventanillas: small windows below the main window, protected by grilles or wooden barandillas
• Conchas: sliding windows with wooden frames and capiz shells
• Persianas windows: framed wooden slats with a herringbone-shaped rod
• Media Agua: canopies that protected windows from direct sunlight
• Decorative Elements:
• Callado: wooden fretwork placed on upper portions of the walls, close to the ceiling
• Areas at the Ground Floor:
• Zaguan: housed carriages, carozas, and old furniture
• Cuadra (Caballieriza): stables
• Bodega: storage for old furniture and palay
• Patio: a closed courtyard open to the sky adjacent to the zaguan
• Areas at the Second Floor:
• Ante-sala or Caida: a spacious hall where acquaintances are received
• Sala: a living room
• Volada: a flying gallery that projects beyond the posts
• Balcón: a terrace near the living room
• Alcova, Cuarto, or silid: bedrooms
• Comedor: a dining room
• Cucina: a kitchen
• Azotea: an open terrace with a cistern forming water
• Comon or Latrina: a toilet located away from the main house

Notable Bahay na bato Homes

• The Rizal Shrine in Calamba
• Jose P. Laurel House in Paco
• Camiña Balay nga Bato, Iloilo City

Bahay Kubo, Bahay na Bato, Antillian House

• Pre-Colonial House:
• Made from lightweight materials
• Airy and easy to clean
• Vulnerable to typhoons and fire
• The Bahay-Kubo is an example of a pre-colonial house.
• Spanish Colonial House:
• The locals learned from the Spaniards how to quarry, prepare the stones and make bricks.
• Bahay na Bato are fire-resistant
• Still vulnerable to earthquakes
• Ilocos Province – The Vigan House:
• Sturdier look and stronger construction
• Frugal, solid, durable, and practical
• Characteristics include:
• Walls:
• Ground Floor: Mortared brick and stones
• Second Floor: Timber
• Large sliding windows: made of Capiz shells
• High-pitched tile roof:
• Ornaments: made of terracotta and decorative friezes
• Antillean House:
• Resemble houses in the Antilles or West Indies
• Epitome of elegance and graceful living
• Most owners of the Antillean houses had traveled to Europe and/or their children studied in Spain, Germany, or France
• Examples:
• Antillean house of Samson-Montinola, Iloilo City
• Casa Mariquit, 1803, Iloilo City
• Casa Manila, Intramuros