Taal Basilica

The Minor Basilica and Parish of Saint Martin of Tours, commonly known as Taal Basilica, is a minor basilica in the town of Taal, Batangas, within the Archdiocese of Lipa. It is considered to be the largest church building in the Philippines and in Asia, and the largest Augustinian church, standing long and wide. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of Taal, whose feast is celebrated every November 11.

History

Earlier churches

In 1575, three years after the founding of the town of Taal in its old site near the shores of Taal Lake, work began on the construction of its first church by Diego Espinar with Martin of Tours as patron saint. The church was rebuilt in 1642 using stronger materials, but it was destroyed in 1754 along with the town of Taal in the largest recorded eruption of the Taal Volcano. This event led to transfer of the town and the church farther away from the volcano to its present site atop an elevated hill facing Balayan Bay. The ruins of the previous church can still be seen in the present-day town of San Nicolas.

Martín Aguirre donated the land and began the construction of the new church in 1755. It was continued by Gabriel Rodriguez in 1777 and by Jose Victoria in 1782. Ramon del Marco decorated the church, built the convent, and paved the "processional" road with bricks around the atrium of the parochial building. This church was damaged by a strong earthquake on September 16, 1852, centered near the Taal Volcano, though no volcanic eruption was recorded.

Present church

Construction of the present church began in 1856 by Marcos Antón with Spanish architect Luciano Oliver, commissioned to design and manage the construction of the new church. Although it was unfinished, it was inaugurated in 1865. The huge church was completed by Agapito Aparicio in 1878.

The church was then restored in 1953 in preparation for the canonical coronation of Our Lady of Caysasay. The following year on December 8, 1954, the church was declared as a minor basilica, the third in the country to be given such honor.

The church was again restored in 1972 by the Taal Quadricentennial Council for the 400th anniversary of the town's establishment. By Presidential Decree No. 375 on January 14, 1974, the church was declared a national historical landmark.

The old belfry was later rebuilt in 1990 under the supervision of the National Historical Institute.

In 2011, upon the assignment of Alfredo Madlangbayan, the basilica underwent another renovation as sections the church interior were repainted to match its original ''trompe l'oeil'' ceilings. The tower was also modified to imitate the old tower destroyed by the earthquake of 1942, and a new set of carillon bells was later installed. The renovations were completed in November that same year.

On April 4, 2017, the basilica was damaged by a magnitude-5.5 earthquake that struck Tingloy. The basilica was significantly damaged further by twin earthquakes (magnitudes 5.6 and 6.0) that struck the neighboring towns of Mabini and Taysan that occurred four days later on April 8. This, along with the Taal Volcano eruption on January 12–22, 2020 covering the basilica in ash, led to a restoration by the NHCP. Once finished, it turned over the newly restored basilica to the Archdiocese of Lipa on November 11 of the latter year.

On April 8, 2025, a man was arrested for desecrating the basilica. The suspect was caught on CCTV cameras driving his motorcycle inside the church and desecrating the high altar.

Architecture and design

The basilica is built on the Italian Baroque architecture style on a Latin cross (cruciform) layout. It was meant to have a similar look as Augustinian Churches, meaning not the brown color but a more silver color, as used in the original altar of the Church in San Nicolas, Batangas. The stone church has three naves with a grand transept and an elegant façade with Ionic and Doric orders. A small tower on the left side of the façade contained the large church bell, which in 1942 was destroyed by an earthquake.

The basilica is long and wide, making it the largest in the Philippines and Asia. The façade is high, while the cupola is high. It also has a nave.

Agapito Aparicio added a Doric altar with a height of and a width of . He was also responsible for the baptistery made with tiles imported from Europe.

Gallery

File:Taal Basilica Interior.JPG, The sanctuary in 2009
File:The nave from the Altar, Basilica de San Martin de Tours (Taal).jpg, The nave in 2011 viewed from the main sanctuary
File:Minor Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours or Taal Basilica 85M7766.jpg, Church façade and Taal Park in the foreground
File:Taal Basilica (Altar).JPG, High altar
File:IJVTaalBasilica4.jpg, Dome interior depicting the Ascension of Jesus, with paintings of the Four Evangelists in the pendentives

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

*
*
*

External links

*
*

Taal Basilica Info Web Page

St. Martin of Tours Brochure
Diocese of Lipa.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taal Basilica
Basilica churches in the Philippines
Roman Catholic churches in Batangas
Buildings and structures in Taal, Batangas
Marked Historical Structures of the Philippines
National Historical Landmarks of the Philippines
Spanish Colonial architecture in the Philippines
Baroque church buildings in the Philippines
Neoclassical church buildings in the Philippines
Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa
Jubilee churches in the Philippines