- Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila
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Basilica Minore de San Sebastián 
Basic information Location Quiapo, Manila, Philippines Geographic coordinates 14°35′58″N 120°59′20″E / 14.59944°N 120.98889°E Affiliation Roman Catholic Year consecrated 1891 Ecclesiastical or organizational status Minor basilica Status active Architectural description Architect(s) Genaro Palacios Architectural type Basilica Architectural style Neo-Gothic Groundbreaking 1888 Completed 1891 Specifications Materials steel, mixed sand, gravel & cement The Basilica Minore de San Sebastián, better known as San Sebastián Church, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Manila, the Philippines. It is the seat of the Parish of San Sebastian and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Completed in 1891, San Sebastián Church is noted for its architectural features. An example of the revival of Gothic architecture in the Philippines, it is the only all-steel church or basilica in Asia.[1] It has also been implausibly reputed to be the first prefabricated building in the world,[2] and more plausibly claimed as the only prefabricated steel church in the world.[3] In 2006, San Sebastian Church was included in the Tentative List for possible designation as a World Heritage Site. It was designated as a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1973.[4]
San Sebastián Church is under the care of The Order of the Augustinian Recollects, who also operate a college adjacent to the basilica. It is located at Plaza del Cármen, at the eastern end of Claro M. Recto Street, in Quiapo, Manila.[5]
Contents
History
The twin spires of San Sebastian Church
In 1621, Don Bernardino Castillo, a generous patron and a devotee of the Christian martyr Saint Sebastian, donated the land upon which the church stands now. The original church, made of wood, burned in 1651 during a Chinese uprising. The succeeding structures, which were built of brick, were destroyed by fire and earthquakes in 1859, 1863, and 1880.[5]
In the 1880s, Estebán Martínez, the parish priest of the ruined church, approached the Spanish architect, Genaro Palacios, with a plan to build a fire and earthquake-resistant structure made entirely of steel. Palacios completed a design that fused Earthquake Baroque with the Neo-Gothic style.[5] His final design was said to have been inspired by the famed Gothic Burgos Cathedral in Burgos, Spain.[5]
Construction
The prefabricated steel sections that would compose the church were manufactured in Binche, Belgium.[1] According to the historian Ambeth Ocampo, the knockdown steel parts were ordered from the Societe Anonyme des Enterprises de Travaux Publiques in Brussels.[6] In all, 52 tons of prefabricated steel sections were transported in eight separate shipments from Belgium to the Philippines, the first shipment arriving in 1888.[5] Belgian engineers supervised the assembly of the church, the first column of which was erected on September 11, 1890.[7] The walls were filled with mixed sand, gravel and cement.[4] The stained glass windows were imported from the Henri Oidtmann Company, a German stained glass firm, while local artisans assisted in applying the finishing touches of the steel church.[1]
The church was raised to the status of a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII on June 24, 1890.[4] Upon its completion the following year, on August 16, 1891, Basilica Minore de San Sebastián was consecrated by the Archbishop of Manila, Bernardo Nozaleda.[4]
Gustave Eiffel's role
Gustave Eiffel may have been involved in the design of San Sebastian Church.It has long been reputed that Gustave Eiffel, the French engineer behind the Eiffel Tower and the steel structure within the Statue of Liberty, was involved in the design and construction of San Sebastián Church.[2][6][8]
The connection between Eiffel and San Sebastián Church was reportedly confirmed by historian Ambeth Ocampo while doing research in Paris.[8] Ocampo likewise published a report that in the 1970s, the famed architect I.M. Pei had visited Manila to confirm reports he had heard that Eiffel had designed an all-steel church in Asia. When Jams inspected San Sebastián Church, he reportedly pronounced that the metal fixtures and overall structure were indeed designed by Eiffel.[6]
Definitely it is said that the official catalogues of Eiffel make possible reference to the design and exportation of a church in Manila in 1875, or thirteen years before construction of San Sebastián Church actually began.[6] If true, this would still not preclude the possibility that Eiffel had designed the metal structure of the church, with Palacios completing the actual design of the entire church.[6]
Features
As the only all-steel church in Asia,[1][4] San Sebastián Church has two openwork towers and steel vaulting. The basilica's central nave is twelve meters from the floor to the dome, and thirty-two meters to the tip of the spires.[4]
The interior of the church displays groined vaults in the Gothic architecture style.[1] The steel columns, walls and ceiling were painted by Lorenzo Rocha and his students to give off a faux-marble and jasper appearance.[1] Trompe l'oeil paintings were used to decorate the interiors of the church.[6] True to the Gothic revival spirit of the church are its confessionals, pulpit, altars and five retablos as designed by Lorenzo Guerrero,[9] as well as Rocha. The sculptor Eusebio García carved the statues of holy men and women.[10] Six holy water fonts were constructed for the church, each crafted from marble obtained from Romblon.[11]
Above the main altar is an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, given to the church by Carmelite sisters from Mexico City in 1617[citation needed].[4] The image withstood all the earthquakes and fires which had destroyed previous incarnations of San Sebastián Church, but its ivory head was stolen in 1975.[4]
Preservation
In recent years, San Sebastián Church has encountered threats to its structural integrity. The steel structure has been beset by rust and corrosion, to which the sea breezes from nearby Manila Bay contribute.[8] In 1998, it was placed on the biennial watchlist of the 100 Most Endangered Sites by the World Monuments Fund, though it was not retained in the subsequent watchlists.[12]
San Sebastián Church was a declared National Historical Landmark by President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree No. 260 in 1973.[1] State funding was accorded to the church through the National Historical Institute which undertook restoration in 1982. The Recollect community has likewise expended funds for the church's maintenance and restoration.[1]
On May 16, 2006, San Sebastián Church was included in the Tentative List for possible designation as a World Heritage Site, on account of its architectural and historical heritage.[1]
Gallery
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Murals inside the church
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Lectern near the main altar
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One of the stained glass windows from Germany
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The main altar
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From a vantage
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "World Heritage: San Sebastian Church". Tentative List for the World Heritage List. UNESCO. http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/518/. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ a b Layug, p. 88. "The basilica is the first and only all-steel church in Asia, the second in the world after the Eiffel Tower of Paris (French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel himself is also rumored to have been involved in the basilica's construction) and probably the first prefabricated building in the world."
- ^ Francis Doral, ed (2005). Insight Guides: Philippines. Singapore: Discovery Channel & Apa Publications GmbH & Co. Verlag KG. p. 152. "Near where Recto Avenue becomes Mendiola Street is San Sebastián Church, reputedly the only prefabricated steel church in the world."
- ^ a b c d e f g h Layug, p. 88
- ^ a b c d e Layug, p. 87
- ^ a b c d e f Findelle de Jesus. "The San Sebastian Church -- Gustave Eiffel's Church in the Philippines". Artes de las Filipinas: A Website in Honor of Philippine Arts and Antiquities. Artes de las Filipinas. http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/main/archives.php?pid=24. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ Layug, p. 87-88
- ^ a b c Howie Severino (2006-05-30). "An Eiffel in Quiapo". Howie Severino's Sidetrip. GMA Network. http://gmapinoytv.igma.tv/sidetrip/blog/?/archives/82-An-Eiffel-in-Quiapo.html. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ Trota José, Regalado; Pacific Asia Museum (1990). Images of Faith: Religious Ivory Carvings from the Philippines. Pacific Asia Museum. p. 27. ISBN 9781877921032. http://books.google.com/?id=-6pWAAAAMAAJ&q=San+Sebastian+Church+manila&dq=San+Sebastian+Church+manila. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
- ^ Layug, pp. 88-89.
- ^ Institute of Science and Technology (1919). "The Philippine Journal of Science". The Philippine Journal of Science (Science and Technology Information Institute): 88. http://books.google.com/?id=Ku4KjcKDO1YC&q=San+Sebastian+Church+manila&dq=San+Sebastian+Church+manila. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
- ^ "WMF Past Watch Sites". World Monuments Fund. http://wmf.org/watch_past.html. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
References
- Layug, Benjamin Locsin (2007). A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches. Pasig City, Philippines: New Day Publishers. pp. 87–89. ISBN 971-8521-10-0.
- "World Heritage: San Sebastian Church". Tentative List for the World Heritage List. UNESCO. http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/518/. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
External links
- Basilica Minore de San Sebastian. Accessed March 22, 2007.
World Heritage Sites in the Philippines World Heritage Sites Baroque Churches of the Philippines (San Agustin Church · Paoay Church · Santa Maria Church · Miag-ao Church) · Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park · Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras ( Batad Rice Terraces · Bangaan Rice Terraces · Hungduan Rice Terraces · Mayoyao Central Rice Terraces · Nagacadan Rice Terraces) · Tubbataha Reef · Historic Town of Vigan
Tentative List Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary · Angono Triglyphs · Apo Reef Natural Park · Baroque Churches of the Philippines Extension (Boljoon Church · Guiuan Church · Loboc Church · Lazi Church · Tumauini Church) · Batanes Protected Landscapes and Seascapes · Butuan Archeological Sites · Chocolate Hills Natural Monument · Coron Island Natural Biotic Area · El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area · Jesuit Churches of the Philippines (Guiuan Church · Baclayon Church · Loboc Church ) · Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves · Ligwasan Marsh · Mount Apo Natural Park · Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary · Mount Iglit-Baco National Park · Mount Malindang Range Natural Park · Mount Matutum Protected Landscape · Mount Pulag National Park · Neolithic Shell Midden Sites in Lal-lo and Gattaran Municipalities · Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and outlying areas inclusive of the buffer zone · Paleolithic Archaeological Sites in Cagayan Valley · Panglao Island, Bohol · Petroglyphs and Petrographs of the Philippines · San Sebastian Church · Spanish Colonial Fortifications of the Philippines (Fuerza de Capul · Dauis Watchtower · Punta Cruz Fortification · Fuerza de San Andres · Fuerza de Sta. Isabel) · Taal Volcano Protected Landscape, Batangas · The Maranao Settlement of Tugaya · The Tabon Cave Complex and all of Lipuun · Turtle Islands Wildlife SanctuaryPrevious Nomination Historic Centre of Manila Intramuros · Town of TaalGovernment
cultural
agenciesNational Commission for Culture and the Arts · National Historical Commission of the Philippines · National Museum · National Library · National Archives · Cultural Center of the Philippines · Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino · Sentro RizalCategories
of cultural
propertiesUNESCO World Heritage Sites · National Cultural Treasures · Important Cultural Properties · National Historical Landmarks · National Shrines · National Monuments · National Heritage Houses · Works of National Artists · Marked Structures · Other Cultural PropertiesCategories:- Religious buildings completed in 1891
- 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings
- National Historical Landmarks of the Philippines
- Roman Catholic churches in the Philippines
- Spanish colonial infrastructures in the Philippines
- Landmarks in the Philippines
- Basilica churches in Asia
- Buildings and structures in Manila
- Philippine architecture
- Gothic Revival architecture in the Philippines
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