Parish Church of Santa Catalina de Alejandria in Carcar

           The last (but not the least) church that we went to was the one located in Carcar. It was also located atop a hill (like some of the churches that we explored earlier) so it was really extravagant to look at. It was really old, too. Like the church in San Fernando, the structure was also surrounded by the municipal hall and other important buildings for that matter. The school was just a few meters from the church itself.

        From the designs of of facade of the church, you can tell that it has hints of Greco-roman  architecture because of marble-like material used in building it. It also had a mix of neoclassical architecture  in it, as well. Neoclassical because of the structure's planar tendencies. But the domes that can be seen on the roof may be brought about by Muslim influences. 

      The interior of the church was a sight to behold. The altar made use of the different shades of yellow unlike the others who specifically painted their altars gold. The ceiling contained frescoes depicting geometrical figures. Every pillar on the side contained figures of saints on top of it. The designer of the church also made use of arches on the sides and on the ceiling of the structure. The walls were painted with white paint.  Stained-glass windows can be found here too.

           The order used in the pillars of the church was Doric. A portion of the ceiling of the church contained carved figures out of wood painted with white and blue paint.

More pictures:

 

 

         

Parish Church of San Isidro Labrador in San Fernando

          When I first saw the Church, I thought that it was absolutely breathtaking. Even though the church was not that big, the actual structure was really bewitching. Sure I've seen it in the internet a couple of times while surfing but by being actually  there in person made a whole lot of difference. By being there it felt like I was reliving the past. The church was actually located close to the municipal hall and the school. This was usually the setting found in the old times, when we were, back then, colonized by the Spaniards. 

         According to a source, the original church was made of light materials but then later on the church was renovated.  was by then that the church facade was added with cement.

            The style used in building the church was Gothic inspired. It was evident in the facade. The use of pointed arches or Ogival arches was also a dead give-away of the style used.  Another feature that we can find in this particular structure is the way they made use use of the vertical emphasis of the form which suggests greater height for the structure.The windows also made use of arches to create the feeling of majesty.

arched windows

         
             The inside of the church, however, was not that dissimilar to the churches that we've already been too. The colors used in the altar was mostly gold, like the other ones that we've already seen. The walls were colored with a light shade of yellow and was paired with blue.The order used in the pillars inside the church seems to be of the Corinthian order because of its flowery design.

        

More pics:

Another view of the church













Municipal Hall across the church

What the church was made of

Me! Standing right outside the church

Parish Church of San Francisco de Asis in Naga

         Parish Church of San Francisco de Asis in Naga was the fourth church that we went to. The first thing that I thought when I saw the structure was that it was cute and at the same time creepy because of its size. The facade depicted angels (cherubs) that were playing musical instruments (kinda look like those that you usually find in paintings) and geometric figures here and there and you can find flowers too.


       As I looked at the facade, it was like something that I've never really seen before. It seemed that the technique in building the structure was never really discussed in class. according to my sources, the style used in designing the church was "tequitequi". This technique is said to be a mix of Mexican and Muslim art.


         We never really had a chance to explore it that much in the inside of the church because there was a wedding ceremony going on. We were able to shot a few pictures and I noticed that in the pillars, they used the Corinthian order. They also made use of the color god in their altar (also famous with the other churches that we went to, as well).

         As you can see, the ceiling did not posses rounded arches but instead it was plain which was painted with religious symbols.  The colors used on the walls were primarily light, mostly it was dirty white and gray. They used gold paint to emphasize the details on the pillars.


        Going back to the outside, it seems that the structure was made out o limestone. Material that it was built from really added to its beauty because it tells us a sense of antiquity and originality to the structure. What made me interested with the church, aside from the style used, was the bell tower beside it. Since it was detached from the main structure (which was the church), I found it rather uncommon placed like that and as big as it was. They also had some kind of grotto at the left side of the church. 

More pictures:

bell tower

walls

grotto

Church of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Minglanilla

         The third church that we went to was in Minglanilla. It was huge and beautiful at the same time. It was located on top of a hill so the location really added a sort of mystery and magnificence to it.

          This church was said to be one of the few structures constructed by the Augustinians in Cebu. As you can see, the construction has hints of Gothic architecture in it. The rounded arches of the edifice also bear evidence of the Baroque constructions. As weird as the two styles are mixed together, it turned out pretty well for this construction. 


         When we went inside, it was beautiful and grand, as well. The altar's design consisted of a rounded arch that was painted gold and had a mix of green. The background of the altar stands a sort of wall that was designed with circular and rectangular shapes. The background was colored with a sort of orange and light brown colors.

 

             Some of the features of the structure was stained-glass windows. The images in the windows were that of the virgin Mary and they were absolutely huge and stunning. Here's a photograph of it:

         The order used in the church was Ionic. Here's a photo of it:

More pics:

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

             The second church that we went to was the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. Like the first structure that we went to, the church was absolutely an amazing sight to behold.  And I'm not just talking about the structure upfront; the interior was absolutely beautiful, as well. Sure I've passed by this church a couple of times while I'm on my way to Sto. Niño but it's never the same when you take a closer look at it. Anyway, here's a picture of the facade of the church:

And here's another one:

            This particular church contains obvious features similar to the churches from the Baroque era. As you can see in the pictures that we took, arches are dominant in this specific church that are very much a like with baroque architecture. The dramatic use of light that emphasizes the features of the church was also a feature of the Baroque architecture made before. Another amazing feature of this church is that it's cruciform and it's made with hick walls to withstand typhoons and other natural calamities that may take place

          The structure also contained stained glass windows which made it more beautiful to look at. These windows can be an evidence for a touch of Gothic influence.

            Moving on, when we went inside, it was even more astonishing. You can really tell that this structure is a treasure and should be kept and preserved to be appreciated by the next generation. I realized, as I went inside, that it would be a shame if ever this masterpiece is not maintained because it holds so much of our history as a people and what our ancestors have been through, as well.
             The altar was colored with gold and consisted of intricate details that were somewhat the same with the ones that we found in Sto. Niño Church. The pillars used were of Doric and Corinthian order. The rest of the interior used a mix of gold and light colors such as white, yellow, etc.

Here's a closer shot at on of the pillars in the church:

Here's a relic found inside the church:

Basilica Minore del Sto.Niño

                The first time that I heard about the project , I was really excited to try it out. At that time, I really can't imagine myself traveling around Cebu and explore places that I've never been before alone. 

            

             To make the trip much less frightening and make it more fun, I paired up with another classmate of mine from the same class. I chose Beverly since we were already familiar with one another.  I imagined that the trip would be a blast---and I was right.

             We started with what was closest to us and we figured that it was the Sto. Niño church near Colon. Not only was the structure beautiful, it was also the architecture that was the most familiar to us. On the other hand, it was also perfect for the project because it was an old structure and it contained the features that me and my friend were looking for.

             As you can see in the pictures, the materials that the facade was made from looks like rock, but it is actually made of corals from Panay and the wood that was used in building it was actually transported from Talisay.

              The architecture of the church is heavily influenced with Romanesque and Neo-Classical Designs. The extravagance that the church facade displays show signs of how it was complete;y influenced by the colonizers.

           The inside of the church contained arches that was evident from the churches from the Romanesque period. Also, pillars that can be seen from the inside of the church show evident influence from the neo-classical period. The interior design of the church speaks of medieval influence since the ceiling of the church contained frescoes about stories  that can e found in the bible.

       The altar of the church was also a sight to behold. It's intricate details reflect how

flamboyant religious structures from the olden times are and should be. The details also have a touch of the neoclassical structures found in other countries whose dominated by christian religions.

Anyways, here's a picture of me beside the doors of the church...(" You see how huge they are?")