Intramuros (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
, the capital of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. It is administered by the
Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila.
Present-day Intramuros comprises a centuries-old historic district, entirely surrounded by fortifications, that was considered at the time of the
Spanish Empire to be the entire City of Manila. Other towns and ''arrabales'' (suburbs) located beyond the walls that are now districts of Manila were referred to as ''extramuros'',
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
for "outside the walls",
and were independent towns that were only incorporated into the city of Manila during the early 20th century. Intramuros served as the seat of government of the
Captaincy General of the Philippines, a component realm of the
Spanish Empire, housing the colony's governor-general from its founding in 1571 until 1865, and the
Real Audiencia of Manila until the end of Spanish rule during the
Philippine Revolution of 1898.
The walled city was also considered the religious and educational center of the Spanish East Indies. The original campuses of the
University of Santo Tomas, the oldest university in Asia, and the
Ateneo de Manila, were in Intramuros before transferring in 1927 and 1932 respectively; today the area still contains the main campuses of the
University of the City of Manila, the
Colegio de San Juan de Letran,
Mapúa University,
Philippine Nautical Training Colleges, the
Colegio de Santa Rosa, and the
Manila High School. Intramuros was also an economic center; its port in what is now
Plaza Mexico
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
was the Asian hub of the
Manila galleon trade, carrying goods to and from
Acapulco in what is now
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
.
Construction of the Spanish walled city began under the orders of the
Spanish imperial government in the late 16th century to protect the city from foreign invasions, replacing the old prehispanic settlement of ''Maynila'' along the shores of the
Manila Bay, by the entrance to the
Pasig River. Near the mouth of the Pasig River is
Fort Santiago, which, along with a series of bulwarks and gates, fortified the city from repeated invasions. During the early 20th century, under the administration of
American colonial authorities,
land reclamation and the construction of the
Manila South Port subsequently moved the coastline westward and obscured the walls and fort from the bay, while the moat surrounding the fortifications was drained and turned into a
recreational golf course.
The
Battle of Manila in 1945 entirely flattened Intramuros. As the occupying
Japanese Imperial Army made their last stand against the victorious efforts of
Allied soldiers and
Filipino guerrillas, heavy artillery bombardment destroyed its eight churches, walls, universities, houses, and government buildings constructed for centuries in
Spanish colonial architecture; only the
San Agustín Church, the oldest standing church in the Philippines, survived intact and was later made a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Though reconstruction efforts began immediately after the war, many of its original landmarks are still lost today; under the Intramuros Administration, Intramuros is still in the process of postwar reconstruction and revival of its cultural heritage.
Intramuros, including
Fort Santiago, was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1951. The fortifications of Intramuros, under the name ''Fortifications of Manila'', were declared
National Cultural Treasures by the
National Museum of the Philippines, owing to its historic and cultural significance.
San Agustín Church, one of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the entry ''
Baroque Churches of the Philippines
The Baroque Churches of the Philippines are a collection of four Spanish Colonial-era baroque churches in the Philippines, which were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1993. The churches are also considered as national cultural tre ...
'', is located within Intramuros. Several Philippine government agencies are headquartered in Intramuros; the
Bureau of the Treasury is located in the Ayuntamiento, the old municipal hall of Manila, while the
Commission on Elections is housed in an office building at
Plaza Roma at the site of the old governor's palace. Several offices of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
, including the
Archdiocese of Manila and the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; ceb, Hugpong sa mga Obispo nga Katoliko sa Pilipinas;
bcl, Komperensya kan mga Obispo Katoliko kan Pilipinas; hil, Komperensya sang mga Obispo Katoliko sang Pilipinas; ilo, Kumperensya ti ...
, are also found at or near
Manila Cathedral.
History
Pre-Hispanic period
The strategic location of
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
along
the bay and at the mouth of
Pasig River made it an ideal location for the
Tagalog
Tagalog may refer to:
Language
* Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines
** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language
** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language
* Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Taga ...
tribes and kingdoms to trade with merchants from what would be today's
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
,
Borneo, and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
.
At present-day Fort Santiago is where the polity of Maynila was located.
Spanish Colonial Period (1571–1898)
Spanish conquest of Manila (1571–1762)
In 1564,
Spanish explorers led by
Miguel López de Legazpi sailed from
New Spain (now Mexico), and arrived on the island of
Cebu on February 13, 1565, establishing the first
Spanish colony in the Philippines. Having heard from the natives about the rich resources in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
, Legazpi dispatched two of his lieutenant-commanders,
Martín de Goiti and
Juan de Salcedo, to explore the island of Luzon. The Spaniards arrived on the island of
Luzon in 1570. After quarrels and misunderstandings between the
Muslim natives and the Spaniards, they fought for control of the land and settlements. After several months of warfare the natives were defeated, and the Spaniards made a peace pact with the councils of
Rajah Sulaiman III
Rajah Sulayman, sometimes referred to as Sulayman III (Sanskrit: स्ललैअह्, Arabic: سليمان, Abecedario: ''Suláimán'') (1558–1575), was the Rajah of Maynila, a fortified Tagalog Muslim polity on the southern half of th ...
,
Lakan Dula, and
Rajah Matanda who handed over
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
to the Spaniards.
Legazpi declared the area of Manila as the new capital of the Spanish colony on June 24, 1571, because of its strategic location and rich resources. He also proclaimed the
sovereignty of the
Monarchy of Spain over the
whole archipelago.
King Philip II of Spain delighted at the new conquest achieved by Legazpi and his men, awarding the city a
coat of arms and declaring it as: ''Ciudad Insigne y Siempre Leal'' (
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
: "Distinguished and Ever Loyal City"). It was settled and became the political, military, and religious center of the
Spanish Empire in Asia.
Construction of the city walls
The city was in constant danger of natural and man-made disasters and worse, attacks from foreign invaders. In 1574, a fleet of Chinese pirates led by Limahong attacked the city and destroyed it before the Spaniards drove them away. The colony had to be rebuilt again by the survivors.
These attacks prompted the construction of the wall.
The city of stone began during the rule of
Governor-General Santiago de Vera.
The city was planned and executed by Jesuit Priest Antonio Sedeno
in accordance to the
Laws of the Indies, and was approved by
King Philip II's Royal Ordinance that was issued in
San Lorenzo de El Escorial,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
. The succeeding
governor-general,
Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas brought with him from Spain the royal instructions to carry into effect the said decree stating that "to enclose the city with stone and erect a suitable fort at the junction of the sea and river". Leonardo Iturriano, a Spanish military engineer specializing in fortifications, headed the project. Chinese and Filipino workers built the walls.
Fort Santiago was rebuilt and a circular fort, known as
Nuestra Senora de Guia, was erected to defend the land and sea on the southwestern side of the city. Funds came from a monopoly on playing cards and fines imposed on its excessive play. Chinese goods were taxed for two years. Designed by Geronimo Tongco and Pedro Jusepe, construction of the walls began on 1590 and continued under many
governor-generals until 1872. By the middle of 1592, Dasmarinas wrote the King about the satisfactory development of the new walls and fortification.
Since the construction was carried on during different periods and often far apart, the walls were not built according to any uniform plan.
[U.S. War Department 1903, p. 435.]
Improvements continued during the terms of the succeeding Governor-Generals. Governor-General
Juan de Silva executed certain work on the fortifications in 1609 which was improved by
Juan Niño de Tabora in 1626, and by
Diego Fajardo Chacón in 1644. The erection of the ''
Baluarte de San Diego
The Baluarte de San Diego is a bastion in Intramuros, part of the Spanish colonial fortification in the walled city of Manila in the Philippines.
History
The existence of the fort started from Governor General Benedick Santos who integrated an o ...
'' was also completed that year. This bastion, shaped like an "ace of spades" is the southernmost point of the wall and the first of the large bastions added to the encircling walls, then of no great height nor of finished construction. It was the former site of ''Nuestra Señora de Guia'', the very first stone fort of Manila. Ravelins and ''reductos'' were added to strengthen weak areas and serve as outer defenses. A moat was built around the city with the Pasig River serving as a natural barrier on one side. By the 18th century, the city was totally enclosed. The last construction works were completed by the start of the 19th century.
Inside colonial Intramuros
The main square of the city of Manila was ''Plaza Mayor'' (later known as Plaza McKinley then ''
Plaza de Roma'') in front of the
Manila Cathedral. East of the plaza was the ''
Ayuntamiento'' (City Hall) and facing it was the
Palacio del Gobernador, the official residence of the
Spanish viceroyalties to the Philippines. An earthquake on June 3, 1863, destroyed the three buildings and much of the city. The residence of the Governor-General was moved to
Malacañang Palace located about up on the Pasig River. The two previous buildings were later rebuilt but not the Governor's Palace.
Inside the walls were other
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
churches, the oldest being
San Agustin Church (
Augustinians) built in 1607. The other churches built by the different
religious orders – San Nicolas de Tolentino Church (
Recollects),
San Francisco Church (
Franciscans), Third Venerable Order Church (
Third Order of St. Francis
The Third Order of Saint Francis is a third order in the Franciscan tradition of Christianity, founded by the medieval Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi.
The preaching of Francis and his disciples caused many married men and women to w ...
), Santo Domingo Church (
Dominican), Lourdes Church (
Capuchins), and the
San Ignacio Church (
Jesuits) – has made the small walled city the ''City of Churches''. Intramuros was the center of large educational institutions in the country.
Convents and church-run schools were established by the different
religious orders. The Dominicans established the
Universidad de Santo Tomás in 1611 and the
Colegio de San Juan de Letrán
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran, (transl: College of San Juan de Letran) also referred to by its acronym CSJL, is a private Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution owned and run by the friars of the Order of Preachers i ...
in 1620. The Jesuits established the
Universidad de San Ignacio in 1590, the first university in the country, but closed in 1768 following the
expulsion of the Jesuits in the country. After the Jesuits were allowed to return to the Philippines, they established the
Ateneo Municipal de Manila
, mottoeng = Light in the Lord
, type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution
, established = December 10, 1859
, religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits)
, academic_aff ...
in 1859.
["History"](_blank)
Ateneo de Manila University. Retrieved on October 11, 2012. In the initial period of colonization, there were a total of 1200 Spanish families living in the vicinity of Intramuros, 600 Spanish families within the walls and another 600 living in the suburbs outside Intramuros. In addition to this were about 400 Spanish soldiers garrisoned at the walled city.
American period (1898–1946)
After the end of the
Spanish–American War, Spain surrendered the Philippines and several other territories to the United States as part of the terms of the
Treaty of Paris for $20 million. The American flag was raised at
Fort Santiago on August 13, 1898, indicating the start of American rule over the city. The Ayuntamiento became the seat of the
Philippine Commission of the United States in 1901 while Fort Santiago became the headquarters of the Philippine Division of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
.
The Americans made drastic changes to the city, such as in 1903, when the walls from the
Santo Domingo Gate up to the
Almacenes Gate were removed as the wharf on the southern bank of the
Pasig River was improved. The stones removed were used for other construction happening around the city. The walls were also breached in four areas to ease access to the city: the southwestern end of ''Calle Aduana'' (now Andres Soriano Jr. Ave.); the eastern end of ''Calle Anda''; the northeastern end of ''Calle Victoria'' (previously known as ''Calle de la Escuela''); and the southeastern end of ''Calle Palacio'' (now General Luna Street). The double moats that surrounded Intramuros were deemed unsanitary and were filled in with mud dredged from
Manila Bay where the present
Port of Manila is now located. The moats were transformed into a municipal golf course by the city.
Reclamations for the construction of the Port of Manila, the
Manila Hotel, and
Rizal Park obscured the old walls and skyline of the city from the
Manila Bay. The Americans also founded the first school under the new government, the
Manila High School, on June 11, 1906, along Victoria Street.
In 1936, Commonwealth Act No. 171 was passed requiring that all future buildings to be constructed in Intramuros adopt Spanish colonial type architecture.
World War II and Japanese occupation
In December 1941, the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emper ...
invaded the Philippines. The first casualties in Intramuros brought by the war were the destruction of
Santo Domingo Church and the original
University of Santo Tomas campus during an assault. The whole city of Manila was declared by General
Douglas MacArthur as an "
Open City
In war, an open city is a settlement which has announced it has abandoned all defensive efforts, generally in the event of the imminent capture of the city to avoid destruction. Once a city has declared itself open the opposing military will b ...
" as Manila was indefensible.
In 1945, the battle for the
liberation of Manila began when American troops tried to occupy Manila in January 1945. Intense urban fighting occurred between the combined American and Filipino troops under the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
and
Philippine Commonwealth Army
The Philippine Army was established on December 21, 1935, as the Army of the Philippines, with a general headquarters in Manila, and units and formations based throughout the provinces of the Philippines.
The Philippine Army was initially o ...
including recognized
guerrillas, against the 30,000 Japanese defenders. As the battle continued, both sides inflicted heavy damage on the city culminating with the
Manila massacre by Japanese troops. The Imperial Japanese Army was pushed back, eventually retreating into the Intramuros district. General MacArthur, though opposed to the bombing of the walled city, approved the heavy shelling which resulted in deaths of over 16,665 Japanese alone within Intramuros.
Two of the eight gates of Intramuros were badly damaged by American tanks. The bombings leveled most of Intramuros leaving only 5% of the city structures; the walls lost 40% to the bombings.
Over 100,000 Filipino men, women and children died from February 3 to March 3, 1945, during the
Battle of Manila.
At the end of World War II, all of the buildings and structures in Intramuros were destroyed, with only the damaged
San Agustin Church still standing.
Contemporary period (1946–present)
In 1951, Intramuros was declared a historical monument and Fort Santiago, a national shrine with Republic Act 597, with the policy of restoring, reconstructing, and urban planning of Intramuros. In 1956, Republic Act 1607 declared Intramuros a "commercial, residential and educational district", opening up the district to development disregarding the historicity of the area. The same law also repealed Commonwealth Act No. 171 and Republic Act No. 597. Several laws and decrees also followed but results were deemed unsatisfactory due to limited funds.
In 1979, the
Intramuros Administration (IA) was created by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1616, signed by
President Ferdinand Marcos on April 10 of that year.
Since then, the IA has been slowly restoring the walls, the sub-features of the fortification, and the city within. The remaining five original gates have been restored or rebuilt: Isabel II Gate, Parian Gate, Real Gate, Santa Lucía Gate and the Postigo Gate. The entrances made by the Americans by breaching the walls at four locations are now spanned by walkways thereby creating a connection, seamless in design and character to the original walls. Buildings destroyed during the war were subsequently rebuild:
Manila Cathedral was rebuilt and was opened to the public in 1958,
Ayuntamiento de Manila
The Ayuntamiento de Manila (Manila City Hall) is a building located at the corner of Andrés Soriano Avenue (formerly, ''Calle Aduana'') and Cabildo Street, fronting Plaza de Roma in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. Also known as the Casas Consis ...
was rebuilt in 2013, while the
San Ignacio Church and Convent is currently being reconstructed as the
Museo de Intramuros
Museo de Intramuros () is an ecclesiastical museum operated and managed by the Intramuros Administration. It is located at the reconstructed San Ignacio Church and Convent within the historic walled area of Intramuros in Manila, Philippines.
San ...
.
In January 2015, during
Pope Francis's visit to the Philippines
Pope Francis made a pastoral and state visit to the Philippines from January 15 to 19, 2015. He was the third pontiff to visit the Philippines and the first in the 21st century and 3rd millennium, after Paul VI in 1970 and John Paul II in 1981 and ...
, he led a mass at the Manila Cathedral that was attended by an estimated 2,000 bishops, priests and religious leaders of the Philippine Catholic Church. Anthology, an annual 3-day festival about architecture and design, was first launched in June 2016 at Intramuros. Since then, it has been renting
Fort Santiago as a venue where seminars and other activities were held, with guest speakers from local and international people from the field of architecture and design. It is made possible through the partnership of WTA Architecture + Design Studio and the Intramuros Administration, who are also responsible for the critically acclaimed the
Book Stop Intramuros located in Plaza Roma.
The
Department of Tourism along with the
Intramuros Administration launched the first major project of the newly created Faith Sector that focuses on the historic and cultural religious wealth of the Walled City. For the 2018 lenten season, seven religious destinations can be visited. For the first time since World War II, ''
Visita Iglesia'' is once again possible in Intramuros. The seven destinations are the
Manila Cathedral,
San Agustin Church,
San Ignacio Church, Guadalupe Shrine in
Fort Santiago, Knights of Columbus Fr. Willman Chapel,
Lyceum of the Philippines University Chapel, and the
Mapua University Mapua, Māpua, or Mapúa may refer to:
* Mapuá River, a river in the Pará state of north-central Brazil
*Māpua, New Zealand, a small town on the South Island of New Zealand
*Mapúa University
Mapúa University ( fil, Pamantasang Mapúa), also ...
Chapel. The event pays homage to the original seven churches during the prewar Intramuros. The 2018 lenten season event draws over 1 million people from both foreign and local tourists in Intramuros. The Intramuros Administration, together with the Royal Danish Embassy in Manila, and Felta Multimedia, Inc., opened the iMake History Fortress at the Baluarte de Santa Barbara in Fort Santiago last March 19, 2018. The facility is the first history-based
Lego education center in the world.
The
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
in March 2020 caused the
Intramuros Administration to temporarily close several sites within Intramuros including
Fort Santiago,
Museo de Intramuros
Museo de Intramuros () is an ecclesiastical museum operated and managed by the Intramuros Administration. It is located at the reconstructed San Ignacio Church and Convent within the historic walled area of Intramuros in Manila, Philippines.
San ...
, and
Casa Manila
Casa Manila is a museum in Intramuros depicting colonial lifestyle during Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
The museum is the imposing stone-and-wood structure c. 1850, one of the grand houses in Barrio San Luis (one of the four original ...
.
City walls
The outline of the
defensive wall of Intramuros is irregular in shape, following the contours of Manila Bay and the curvature of the Pasig River. The Muralla walls covered an area of of land, surrounded by thick stones and high walls that rise to . The walls stretched to an estimated 3-5 kilometers in length. An inner moat ''(foso)'' surrounds the
perimeter of the wall and an outer moat ''(contrafoso)'' surrounds the walls that face the city.
Defense structures
Several
bulwark
Bulwark primarily refers to:
* Bulwark (nautical), a nautical term for the extension of a ship's side above the level of a weather deck
* Bastion, a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification
The Bulwark primarily refer ...
s (''baluarte''),
ravelins (''ravellin'') and
redoubts (''reductos'') are strategically located along the massive walls of Intramuros following the design of medieval fortifications. The seven
bastions (clockwise, from
Fort Santiago) are the Bastions of Tenerias, Aduana, San Gabriel, San Lorenzo,
San Andres,
San Diego, and Plano.
The bastions were constructed at different periods of time, the reason for the differences in style. The oldest bastion is the
Bastion de San Diego, which was built in 1587.
The fortifications of Intramuros comprises several parts, the front facing the sea and the river, which were less elaborate and complex, and the three-sided land front with its corresponding bastions.
Fort Santiago was built at the northwest tip where the sea and river converge, and this functioned as a
citadel
A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core.
In ...
. Fort Santiago has significantly served as military headquarters of Spanish, British, United States and Japan during different eras throughout the Philippine history.
In Fort Santiago, there are bastions on each corner of the triangular fort. The ''Baluarte de Santa Bárbara'' faces the bay and Pasig River; ''Baluarte de San Miguel'', faces the bay; and the ''Medio Baluarte de San Francisco'', which faces the Pasig River.
Gates
Before the American Era, entrance to the city was through
eight gates or ''Puertas'' namely (clockwise, from
Fort Santiago) ''Puerta Almacenes'', ''Puerta de la Aduana'', ''Puerta de Santo Domingo'', ''Puerta Isabel II'', ''Puerta del Parian'', ''Puerta Real'', ''Puerta Sta. Lucia'', and ''Puerta del Postigo''. Three of the gates were destroyed. Two of them, the Almacenes Gate and the Santo Domingo/Customs Gate, were destroyed by the American engineers when they open up the northern part of the walls to the wharves. The Banderas Gate was destroyed during an earthquake and was never rebuilt. Formerly,
drawbridges were raised and the city was closed and under sentinels from 11:00 pm till 4:00 am. It continued so until 1852, when, in consequence of the earthquake of that year, it was decreed that the gates should thenceforth remain open night and day.
[U.S. War Department 1903, p.443.]
Existing gates
Destroyed gates
Present day Intramuros
Intramuros is the only district of Manila where old Spanish-era influences are still plentiful.
Fort Santiago is now a well-maintained park and popular tourist destination. Adjacent to Fort Santiago is the reconstructed Maestranza Wall, which was removed by the Americans in 1903 to widen the wharves thus opening the city to Pasig River. One of the future plans of the Intramuros Administration is to complete the perimeter walls that surround the city making it completely circumnavigable from the walkway on top of the walls.
[philstarcom (June 18, 2010)]
"Maestranza Wall Restoration"
YouTube.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-18.
There has been minimal commercialization occurring within the district, despite restoration efforts. A few fast food establishments set up shop at the turn of the 21st century, catering mostly to the student population within Intramuros. Shipping companies have also set up offices inside the district. Concerts, tours and exhibitions are frequently held within Intramuros to draw both local and foreign tourists.
Education
The center of education since the colonial period, Manila — particularly Intramuros — is home to several Philippine universities and colleges as well as its oldest ones. It served as the home of the
University of Santo Tomas (1611),
Colegio de San Juan de Letran (1620),
Ateneo de Manila University (1859),
Lyceum of the Philippines University and
Mapúa University. The
University of Santo Tomas transferred to a new campus at Sampaloc in 1927, and Ateneo left Intramuros for Loyola Heights, Quezon City (while still retaining "de Manila" in its name) in 1952.
New
non-sectarian schools were established and built over the ruins after the war. The
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, established in 1965 by the city government of Manila, was built at the site of the old ''Cuartel España'' (Spanish Barracks). The
Lyceum of the Philippines University, a private university founded in 1952 by Philippine President
Jose P. Laurel, was built over the lot of
San Juan de Dios Hospital
San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation, Inc. (SJDEFI or SJ, formerly Hospital de San Juan de Dios) is a private, non-stock, non-profit, joint institute of education and tertiary health sciences operating as a college and a hospital in Pasay, ...
. The hospital moved out to
Roxas Boulevard in
Pasay.
Mapúa Institute of Technology, which was founded in 1925 in
Quiapo, Manila moved in Intramuros after the war. Its postwar campus was built on the location of the destroyed San Francisco Church and the Third Venerable Order Church at the corner of San Francisco and Solana Streets. The three new educational institutions, along with Colegio de San Juan de Letran formed an academic cooperation called the
Intramuros Consortium.
Letran Admin.jpg, Colegio de San Juan de Letran
File:Intramurosjf0791_33.JPG, Colegio de Santa Rosa
File:Lyceum of the Philippines.jpg, Lyceum of the Philippines University
File:03892jfIntramuros Gates Baluarte Recoletos Streets Landmarksfvf 31.jpg, Manila High School
File:Mapua (Intramuros, Manila)(2018-02-07) (cropped).jpg, Aerial photo of the Campus of Mapúa University
FvfIntramuros2980 29.JPG, University of the City of Manila
Churches
Intramuros, as the seat of religious and political power during the colonial period, was the home to eight grand churches built by different
religious orders. All but one of these churches were destroyed in the
Battle of Manila. Only
San Agustin Church, the oldest building in existence in Manila completed in 1607, was the only structure inside the Walled City not to be destroyed during the war. The
Manila Cathedral, the seat of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, was reconstructed thereafter in 1958. The other religious orders reconstructed their churches outside Intramuros after the war. The
Dominicans rebuilt
Santo Domingo Church on Quezon Avenue in Quezon City. The
Augustinian Recollects moved to their other church, the
San Sebastian Church (now Basilica), northeast of the Muralla, walled city. The
Capuchins moved the
Lourdes Church in 1951 to the corner of Kanlaon St. and Retiro St. (now Amoranto Ave.) in Quezon City. It was declared a National Shrine in 1997. The Order of Saint John of God moved to Roxas while the Order of Poor Clares in Aurora Boulevard. The
San Ignacio Church and Convent is now currently being reconstructed as
Museo de Intramuros
Museo de Intramuros () is an ecclesiastical museum operated and managed by the Intramuros Administration. It is located at the reconstructed San Ignacio Church and Convent within the historic walled area of Intramuros in Manila, Philippines.
San ...
, an ecclesiastical museum.
File:Manila, Manila Cathedral, Philippines.jpg, Manila Cathedral is the seat of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila. The basilica has merited a papal endorsement from Pope Gregory XIII and three apostolic visits from Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis.
FvfIntramuros2720 27.JPG, The San Agustin Church, a UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
World Heritage Site under the collective title ''Baroque Churches of the Philippines
The Baroque Churches of the Philippines are a collection of four Spanish Colonial-era baroque churches in the Philippines, which were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1993. The churches are also considered as national cultural tre ...
''.
Monuments and statues
World War II as well as natural and man-made disasters destroyed a great many old buildings and statues throughout the country. It is by sheer luck that many Spanish period monuments have continued to survive the passage of time. The following are the ones we could still see today in Intramuros.
Structures before and after World War II
Barangays
Intramuros is made up of five Barangays numbered 654, 655, 656, 657 and 658. These five barangays only serve the welfare of the city's constituents because they have no executive and legislative power. The Intramuros Administration oversee the day-to-day administration of the district, including the issuance of building permits, traffic re-routing, among others.
Barangays 654, 655, and 656 are part of Zone 69 of the City of Manila and barangays 657 and 658 are part of Zone 70.
Intramuros Administration
The Intramuros Administration (IA) is an agency of the
Department of Tourism that is mandated to orderly restore, administer, and develop the historic walled area of Intramuros that is situated within the modern
City of Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...
as well as to insure that the 16th to 19th century Philippine-Spanish architecture remains the general architectural style of the walled area.
Its office is located at
Palacio del Gobernador in
Plaza Roma.
Criticism
After World War II, all buildings inside Intramuros were destroyed, with only the San Agustin Church left standing. Intramuros was rebuilt with Spanish colonial style. Numerous architects, urban planners and professors are critical of the way Intramuros was restored, describing it as frozen in time. Others, however are comparing it to a
theme park that is inspired by the Spanish colonial period.
Buildings and structures in Intramuros were criticized for not being authentic in their design that is supposed to be inspired by the ''
Bahay na Bato'' or the prevailing prewar architectural style. Several design elements from the Spanish colonial period were not present in the postwar building constructions. There are also no buildings from the Spanish colonial period inside Intramuros that is a candidate for adaptive reuse since all of them were destroyed during the war. Despite the design flaws, construction and remodeling of several buildings were approved by the
Intramuros Administration.
Gallery
See also
Spanish forts of the Philippines
Intramuros Administration
''Points of interest''
*
Fort Santiago
**
Gates of Intramuros
*
Manila Cathedral
**
Intramuros Grand Marian Procession
*
San Agustin Church
*
Intramuros Consortium
''Intramuros-related history''
*
History of Manila
Manila's history begins around 65,000 BC the time the Callao Man first settled in the Philippines, predating the arrival of the Negritos and the Malayo-Polynesians. The nearby Angono Petroglyphs, are then dated to be around 3,000 BC and the ea ...
**
Maynila
**
Captaincy General of the Philippines
References
Citations
Sources
*
U.S. War Department (1903)
"Annual Reports of the War Department, 1903 Vol. III" Washington Government Printing Office, 1901.
External links
* '
Intramuros Administration'' – Official website
*
{{Authority control
Fortified settlements
Districts of Manila
History of Manila
Tourist attractions in Manila
Populated places established in 1571
Historic sites in the Philippines
Landmarks in the Philippines
Spanish colonial infrastructure in the Philippines
National Cultural Treasures of the Philippines
Declared Cultural Properties in the Philippines
Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Metro Manila
1571 establishments in the Philippines