Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City
I was surprised to know that at the outskirts of the modern and busy commercial business district of Makati stands a 400+ year old church.
The church is called Nuestra Señora de Gracia standing at a hill in Guadalupe Viejo in Makati City near the Pasig River. Just like most of the old churches, the church architecture is of Baroque style.
According to the Philippine Historical Research and Markers committee, the foundation of the present church was laid in 1601 and completed in 1629. That makes the church a 413-year old structure.
Background: The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church is a baroque Roman Catholic church located in one of the oldest parishes in Makati City, Philippines. The parish church and its adjacent monastery are currently administered by the Augustinian friars of the Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu. Its neighborhood include the Loyola Memorial Chapel, the Laperal compound, and the Guadalupe Minor Seminary.
The church is a mixture of different architectures due in part to the fact that it had to be partially rebuilt and restored once in 1882 after an earthquake, and again in 1894 after fighting between the US and Filipinos.
The church is one of the most popular wedding venues in Metro Manila (Wikipedia).
From Buendia, I took a jeep with signage "Guadalupe Ibabaw" and asked the driver to drop me at Guadalupe Church. It was approximately a 30-minute ride.
The church is situated on a hill. Attached to the church at the left side of the facade is a new Augustinian convent.
Upon looking at the physical feature of the church, I was impressed knowing that it is a more than 400 years old structure.
The church is quite "small" in terms of floor area compared to other antique churches in the Metro like the San Sebastian church or Tondo church.
At the right side of the facade is a belfry. Looking at an old photograph of the church, the belfry was constructed higher than the facade. Today, the facade stands taller than the belfry. The upper half portion of the belfry might have collapsed in the past.
This structure had surpassed many earthquakes, typhoons and the World War II and now one of the most favorite churches in the city for wedding.
There was a wedding during my visit that's why I didn't have enough time exploring the interior of the church. Though the structure is old, I believe the interior had been completely renovated in the past.
The old pulpit shown in the old photo is no longer inside the church at present.
I was surprised to know that at the outskirts of the modern and busy commercial business district of Makati stands a 400+ year old church.
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| Old Church of Guadalupe http://augustinianchurches.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/guadalupe-church-1899-1990-library-congress.png |
According to the Philippine Historical Research and Markers committee, the foundation of the present church was laid in 1601 and completed in 1629. That makes the church a 413-year old structure.
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| Nuestra Senora de Gracia |
The church is a mixture of different architectures due in part to the fact that it had to be partially rebuilt and restored once in 1882 after an earthquake, and again in 1894 after fighting between the US and Filipinos.
The church is one of the most popular wedding venues in Metro Manila (Wikipedia).
From Buendia, I took a jeep with signage "Guadalupe Ibabaw" and asked the driver to drop me at Guadalupe Church. It was approximately a 30-minute ride.
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| Original Interior of the Guadalupe Church |
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| Church Interior |
The church is quite "small" in terms of floor area compared to other antique churches in the Metro like the San Sebastian church or Tondo church.
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| Marker |
The old pulpit shown in the old photo is no longer inside the church at present.
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