To fool the eyes

The San Agustin Church has some of the most magnificent tromp'leoil mural painted throughout its ceiling and wall in done by Italian artists Cesare Alberoni and Giovanni Dibella in 1875, at first glance you would think it's carving but when you look closely, the carvings you thought that adorns the ceilings are actually tromp'leoil. In 1993, the church together with three more spanish period baroque churches scattered around the country was designated as a world heritage site.

The ceiling made to look like it was carved out.

Standing steel

San Sebastian Church is entirely made of steel and was  prefabricated in Belgium and was transported by 8 ships to the Philippines ,engineers built the church in steel so it can withstand earthquakes that occasionally visits Manila. Said to be designed by Gustav Eiffel, the same engineer who did the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty, it is reputedly the only all steel church in Asia and the only prefabricated steel church in the world.. In 2006,it was included as a Tentative list for possible designation as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

The back side of the San Sebastian Church.

But recently the Basilica is facing another possible major disaster, it may have withstood earthquakes but rust is eating this architecturally important structure. The World Monument Funds listed the church as one of the 100 Most Endangered sites.

One of the two towers of the Neo- Gothic Church.

The church has been declared a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government and restoration and preservation of the church is funded by both concern citizens and the state.

Parthenon

Manila is home to some of the most admiring edifices built in neo-classical manner. The Americans during their occupation introduced the architecture to the city to change the old spanish landscape of Manila into their own, and so The Central Post Office was crafted. Juan Marcos Arellano, a prominent architect designed the colossal building in the 1930's, which will later become his masterpiece. The landmark was damaged during the Battle for Manila but was later rebuilt incorporating some of the original details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some friends posing on a fountain in front of the Post Office.

 

 

 

Manila is a city of contrast, it's beautiful and ugly, it's rich and poor and it's chaotic and calm. Definitely it still has more untold stories that she wanted to share.

Memorare Manila

The Battle for Manila which lasted from February 3 to March 3, 1945 was fought by the Americans and Filipinos against the occupying Japanese power. The battle which lasted for one month led to the devastation of once the most beautiful city in the far east and left 120,000 Filipino unarmed civilians dead (according to Carlos Celdran), 1,000 American liberators and 16,000 Japanese soldiers in Intramuros alone. In the month-long battle, the Americans and Japanese inflicted worse destruction on Manila than the German Luftwaffe had exacted upon London. Manila was second to Warsaw in devastation after the world war.

 

Memorare Manila monument was erected to honor the innocent victims of the war.

"This memorial is dedicated to all those innocent victims of war, many of whom went nameless and unknown to a common grave, or even never knew a grave at all, their bodies having been consumed by fire or crushed to dust beneath the rubble of ruins."
"Let this monument be the gravestone for each and every one of the over 100,000 men, women, children and infants killed in Manila during its battle of liberation, February 3 - March 3, 1945. We have not forgotten them, nor shall we ever forget."
"May they rest in peace as part now of the sacred ground of this city: the Manila of our affections."