Sta. Ana, Manila
15 October 2013 |
| Sta. Ana church facade |
On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, a holiday, I decided to move around Metro Manila in search of old churches and other heritage structures that I have not seen or known so far.
I decided to go down south of Manila and there I found the Santa Ana church also known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados).
According to history, Sta. Ana Church is one of the few churches built outside Intramuros during the colonial era. It is the site of the first Franciscan mission established in 1578.
Further more, the corner stone of the church was laid by Francisco De La Cuesta, Archbishop of Manila and acting Governor of the Philippines on September 12, 1720. The present church was built under the supervision of Vicente Ingles.
The Santa Ana church architecture, in my opinion, is different from the old churches in Ilocos known as "Baroque" churches in that, the material used to make the wall is made of adobe and brick whereas those in Ilocos are made of coral stone and brick.
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| Church bell tower |
Another observation is that the bell tower is attached to the main building, whereas in Ilocos, the bell towers are situated few meters away from the main building so that in case of collapse, the main building will be spared.
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| Church interior |
Santa Ana church has a dome. The altar, the way it looks, is made of wood. I like the intricate design in 3 layers.
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| Main altar |
Something, I thought, that is missing though is a pulpit, which is usually located either at the side of the main altar or hanging at a column or wall near the aisle.
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| Stained glass |
The windows at the side of the church facing the convent and the garden are made of antique stained glass colorfully and intricately designed with flowers and other objects.
The windows at the dome are also made of stained glass.
I love the architecture of Santa Ana church and I enjoyed taking photos and exploring the interior.
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