Églises baroques des Philippines

Brève description

Description longue

This group of churches established a style of building and design that was adapted to the physical conditions in the Philippines and had an important influence on later church architecture in the region. The four churches are outstanding examples of the Philippine interpretation of the Baroque style, and represent the fusion of European church design and construction with local materials and decorative motifs to form a new church-building tradition.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception of San Agustín was the first church built on the island of Luzon in 1571, immediately after the Spanish conquest of Manila. A site within the district of Intramuros was assigned to the Augustinian Order, the first to evangelize in the Philippines. In 1587 the impermanent earliest building in wood and palm fronds was replaced by a stone church and monastery in stone, the latter becoming the Augustinian mother house in the Philippines. It was the only structure in Intramuros to survive the liberation of Manila in 1945. Miag-ao became an independent parish in 1731, when a simple church and convento were built. However, destruction of the town by Muslim pirates in 1741 and 1754 led to the town being rebuilt in a more secure location. The new church, constructed in 1787-97, was built as a fortress, to withstand further incursions. It was, however, damaged severely by fire during the revolution against Spain in 1898 and in the Second World War. Two bell towers were added in 1854, but the northern one cracked in the 1880 earthquake and had to be demolished. In the interior of the church the wall paintings date from the 19th century, but they overlie the original tempera murals. As a result the church was richly endowed, with a fine retablo, pulpit, lectern and choir-stalls. Of special interest is the series of crypto-collateral chapels lining both sides of the nave. The walls separating them act as buttresses. The stone barrel vault, dome, and arched vestibule are all unique in the Philippines. A monastery complex was formerly linked to the church by a series of cloisters, arcades, courtyards and gardens, but all except one building were destroyed in 1945.

Unlike other town churches in the Philippines, which conform to the Spanish tradition of sitting them on the central plaza, the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion in Santa Maria with its convento are on a hill surrounded by a defensive wall. Also unusual are the sitting of the convento parallel to the facade of the church and that of the separate bell tower (characteristic of Philippine-Hispanic architecture) at the midpoint of the nave wall. This was dictated by the hill on which it is located The brick church follows the standard Philippine layout, with a monumental facade masking a straight roof-line covering a long rectangular building. It is alleged to be built on a solid raft as a precaution against earthquake damage. The walls are devoid of ornament but have delicately carved side entrances and strong buttresses

The Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva stands on the highest point of Miag-ao, its towers serving as lookouts against Muslim raids. It is the finest surviving example of 'Fortress Baroque'. The sumptuous facade epitomizes the Filipino transfiguration of western decorative elements, with the figure of St Christopher on the pediment dressed in native clothes, carrying the Christ Child on his back, and holding on to a coconut palm for support. The entire riotously decorated facade is flanked by massive tapering bell towers of unequal heights.

The Church of San Agustín at Paoay is the most outstanding example in the Philippines of 'Earthquake Baroque'. Fourteen buttresses are ranged along the lines of a giant volute supporting a smaller one and surmounted by pyramidal finials. A pair of buttresses at the midpoint of each nave wall have stairways for access to the roof. The lower part of the apse and most of the walls are constructed of coral stone blocks, the upper levels being finished in brick, but this order is reversed on the facade. The massive coral stone bell tower, which was added half a century after the church was completed, stands at some distance from the church, again as a protection against damage during earthquakes.

Description historique

L'église de l'Immaculée Conception de San Augustin a été la première église construite sur l'île de Luzon en 1571 immédiatement après la conquête de Manille par les Espagnols. Un terrain a été concédé à 1 'ordre de Saint-Augustin dans le district d'Intramuros ; cet ordre a été le premier à évangéliser les Philippines. En 1587, des bâtiments provisoires construits en bois et palmes furent remplacés par une église et un monastère en pierres. Le monastère est devenu la maison mère de l'ordre de Saint-Augustin aux Philippines. En conséquence, 1' église fut richement dotée d'un très beau retable, d'une chaire, d'un lutrin et de stalles. Cette église fut la seule structure qui survécut à la libération de Manille en 1945.

La mission de Santa Maria fondée en 1765 dans une petite plaine étroite entre la mer et la chaîne montagneuse de Luzon a été 1' une des maisons augustines les plus florissantes des Philippines. Elle servit de point de départ à la christianisation de la partie nord de l'archipel.

En 1731, avec la construction d'une modeste église et d'un convento (maison paroissiale), la mission augustine de Miag-ao est devenue une paroisse indépendante. Cependant, la destruction de la ville par les pirates musulmans en 1741 et 1754 conduisit à la reconstruction de la ville dans un endroit plus sûr. La nouvelle église construite en 1787-97 fut conçue comme une forteresse pour prévenir les éventuelles agressions. Elle fut malgré tout sérieusement endommagée par le feu à deux reprises - au cours de la révolution contre l'Espagne en 1898 et pendant la seconde guerre mondiale.

La ville de Paoay, est appelée Bombay dans les documents les plus anciens et alimente la légende selon laquelle les premiers habitants de l'ile venaient d'Inde. Elle est citée en 1593 et est devenue paroisse indépendante en 1686. Les travaux de construction de l'actuelle église commencèrent en 1694 et furent achevés en 1710.