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Known as the city in walls, Intramuros is the site where Legaspi
erected a fortress in 1571. Later on, the walls
and and a moat were built. It served as the
political, cultural, educational, religious and
commercial center of Spain's empire in the east.
Since only Spaniards and Mestizos were allowed
to live within the walls, Filipinos were settled
on what is now Rizal Park and the Chinese were
housed where City Hall is today. Intramuros was
almost totally destroyed by bombs in World War
II (Manila was the second most destroyed city next
to Warsaw) and only two gates namely Puerta Real
gate and Puerta
de Sta Lucia gate out of the original seven gates were
restored. For fifty Peso, you can take a calesa
(horse carriage) ride or tranvia (cable car)
tour with a certified guide around Intramuros
and the spacious borough of wide streets, leafy
plazas and exotic Spanish colonial buildings.
At its northernmost
tip, built on the pre-Spanish wooden settlement
of Rajah Sulayman, is Fort Santiago, which
served as military headquarters during the
Spanish, American and Japanese regimes. It was
named in honor of Spanish patron saint James,
Slayer of Moors (Santiago Matamoros), whose
wooden relief decorates the main gate to the
fort. The fort was the most important defense
location of the city because from its strategic
vantage point at the mouth of the Pasig River,
all activity in Manila Bay could be observed.
Inside, the Rizal Shrine marks the cell where
the national hero, Dr Jose Rizal awaited his
execution by the Spaniards in 1896. During World
War II, the fort was used as a dungeon where
hundreds of men and women were imprisoned,
tortured and executed by the Japanese. In 1988, the fort was
excavated by US goldseekers in a vain search for
the legendary war treasure of Japanese general
Yamashita.
San Agustin is the oldest structure in the Philippines
and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage
Site and its church and monastery is the most
interesting building to survive the Battle of
Manila. It is here in this church that the last
Spanish governor of Manila surrendered to the
Filipinos in 1898. Although its first buildings were
destroyed in the fires of 1574 and 1583, the
foundation stone for the present buildings
was laid in 1599. It was not damaged by a
succession of earthquakes nor by the bombardment
of World War II. In a crypt to the left of the
high altar lie the mortal remain of Legaspi
(Mausoleum of Legaspi). The
museum contains a collection of ecclesiastical
art and artifacts in which tourists will find
them interesting.
The grand Romanesque Manila Cathedral,
the seat of the archdiocese of Manila, is a
magnificent architectural feat with its great
cupola, intricate stone carvings, stained glass
mosaics and rosette windows. It was destroyed in
World War II and was rebuilt from 1954-1958. The
large 4500-pipe organ from the Netherlands is
the largest in Asia. On every Sunday, one may catch
one of the numerous weddings that take place
here and activities and fun around here never
seems to end.
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