San Sebastian Basilica History PDF

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History of San Sebastian Church in Manila...

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LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY CAVITE

COLLEGE OF ENGINEEERING, COMPUTER STUDIES AND ARCHITECTURE

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 4 SAN SEBASTIAN BASILICA IN MANILA: THE IRON CHURCH

SORONGON, ROSE ANN S. Arc 301

AR. ALMA J. LIBRANDA HOA Adviser

San Sebastian Church History The Basílica Menor de San Sebastián, better known as San Sebastian Church, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Manila, Philippines and the seat of the Parish of San Sebastian (San Sebastian Church, 2015). Completed in 1891, San Sebastian Church is noted for its architectural features. An example of the revival of Gothic architecture in the Philippines, it is the only all-steel temple in the Philippines, and as the only prefabricated steel church in the world. 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 (San Sebastian Church, 2015). San Sebastian 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 Carmen, at the eastern end of Recto Avenue, in Quiapo, Manila (San Sebastian Church, 2015). According to Layug (2007), in 1621, Bernardino Castillo, a generous patron and a devotee of the 3rd-century Roman Martyr Saint Sebastian, donated the land upon which the church stands. The original structure, made of wood, burned in 1651 during a Chinese uprising. Succeeding structures, which were built of brick, were destroyed by fire and earthquakes in 1859, 1863, and 1880 respectively. In the 1880s, Esteban 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 NeoGothic style. His final design was said to have been inspired by the famed Gothic Burgos Cathedral in Burgos, Spain (Layug, 2007). De Jesus (n.d.) stated that two Belgian engineers supervised the construction of the church. On June 12, 1888, the first shipments of steel parts were brought to the Philippines. For two years, the church was assembled with local artists and craftsmen joining the Belgian firm in applying the final finishing touches on this new church of steel. The stained glass windows were imported from the Henri Oidtmann Company, a German stained glass firm. The engineering technique used in the construction of the church, including metal fixtures and the overall structure, were

from Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower. This was confirmed when ChineseAmerican architect, I. M. Pei, visited the Philippines in the late 70’s. He came to confirm what he heard about Gustave Eiffel designing a steel church in Asia. The Church of San Sebastian was raised to the status of a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII on June 24, 1890. The following year, on August 15, 1891, the all-steel church of San Sebastian was inaugurated and blessed. The interior of the church displays groined vaults, a characteristic of Gothic architecture. The columns, walls and ceiling were painted by Filipino artist Lorenzo Rocha and his students resembling marble and jasper. True to the Gothic revival spirit of the church are its confessionals, pulpit and altars as designed by Filipino artist Lorenzo Guerrero. He, with fellow artist Eulogio Garcia, carved the statues of holy men and women. Trompe l'oeil paintings were used to decorate the interiors of the church (Basilica Minore de San Sebastian, 2007). San Sebastian Church was a declared National Historical Landmark by President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree No. 260 in 1973. 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 (UNESCO, 2006).

SAN SEBASTIAN CHURCH FLOOR PLAN

Architectural design and structure of San Sebastian Church The Basilica Minore de San Sebastian is a fine representative of the Gothic revival in the Philippines. The basilica is mixed with 19th-century innovations in church construction, architecture, and art. It takes pride as the only all-steel basilica in the world. The church is under the administration of The Order of the Augustinian Recollects, located at Legarda St. Quiapo, Manila (San Sebastian Church, 2007). According to Ducharme (2014), it has been said that Eiffel, the engineer behind the Eiffel Tower and the steel structure within the Statue of Liberty was involved in the design and construction of San Sebastian Church. The connection between Eiffel and San Sebastian Church was reportedly confirmed by Philippine historian Ambeth Ocampo while doing research in Paris. Ocampo published a report stating that the prominent architect I.M. Pei had visited Manila in the 1970s to confirm reports he had heard that Eiffel had designed an all-steel church in Asia (Ducharme, 2014). Ducharme (2014) said that when Pei inspected San Sebastián Church, he reportedly pronounced that the metal fixtures and overall structure were indeed designed by Eiffel. The official catalogues of Eiffel make definite reference to the design and exportation of a church in Manila in 1875, thirteen years before construction of San Sebastian Church actually began. 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 work. Martinez (2008) mentioned that the prefabricated steel parts were manufactured in the Societe Anonime des Enterprises de Travaux Publiques in Brussels, Belgium and were delivered to Manila using six ships. For two years, the church was assembled like Lego™. Local artists and craftsmen joined the Belgian firm in applying the finishing touches on the new church. The interior of the church resembles that of gothic churches in Europe. Although it is Gothic in design, the church is less extravagant than it might have been had it been built on stone. There are no flying buttresses or gargoyles. Trompe l’oeil painting was used to decorate the church’s interior and the crossed vaults on the ceiling, along with walls and column were painted to resemble marble and jasper. European-made decorative iron mouldings were also used. Figures of saints, most of them painted directly of the iron walls are uniformly high quality. The work

was done by Filipino artist Lorenzo Rocha and his students. The only pieces that are made of wood are the exquisitely carved confessionals, the highly ornate pulpit and altars. These were designed by Filipino artist Lorenzo Guerrero. Eulogio Garcia carved the statues of holy men and women. The stained glass windows were imported from Henri Oidtmann Company of Germany. San Sebation was constructed of 1,527 tons of steel manufactured in Binche, Belgium, in 1886 and assembled over the course of two years by local craftsmen. The interior, designed by the school of Lorenzo Rocha, is decorated by an elaborate painted program: faux jasper and marble, and trompe l’oeils of angles, saints, medallions, and coats of arms. There are 34 painted glass windows, all imported from the Henri Oidtmann Company of Germany (Project: San Sebastian Basilica, n.d.). San Sebastian Church has two openwork towers and steel vaulting. From its floor, the basilica's nave rises 12 meters (39 ft) to the dome, and 32 meters (105 ft) to the tip of the twin spires (Layug, 2007). The

faux

finished

interior of

the

church

incorporates groined

vaults in

the Gothic

architecture style permitting very ample illumination from lateral windows. The steel columns, walls and ceiling were painted by Lorenzo Rocha, Isabelo Tampingco and Félix Martínez to give the appearance of marble and jasper. Trompe l'oeil paintings of saints and martyrs by Rocha were used to decorate the interiors of the church (San Sebastian Basilica tagged National Cultural Treasure, n.d.). True to the Gothic revival spirit of the church are its confessionals, pulpit, altars and five retablos designed by Lorenzo Guerrero and Rocha (Jose, 1990). The sculptor Eusebio Garcia carved the statues of holy men and women. Six holy water fonts were constructed for the church, each crafted from marble obtained from Romblon (Institute of Science and Technology, 1919). 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. The image withstood all the earthquakes and fires which had destroyed previous incarnations of San Sebastian Church, but its ivory head was stolen in 1975 (Layug, 2007). According to Pena (2014), while the all-steel structure still proudly stands in the Philippine capital today, the harsh tropical climate threatens the very existence of the basilica that was

declared as a national historical landmark in 1973. A closer inspection of the basilica would reveal that rust is slowly taking over some portions of this edifice—from the columns and even the doors. Rain water seeping into the structure has even corroded critical areas of the church’s dome and belfry. In 2013, a technical team discovered more than 300 leaks within the church. Unfortunately, the sources of some leaks are still unknown. The environmental condition in the area also led to deterioration of its interior finishes including the trompe l’oeil paintings of various holy men and women. According to the experts in this field, San Sebastian Church takes pride as the only all-steel basilica in the Philippines, and as the only prefabricated steel church in the world. It is a unique basilica, one of the creations of Gustave Eiffel, and it was designated as a National Historical Landmark by the National Museum and the Philippine government. These are the ideas of Ducharme (2014), Martinez (2008) and Alcazaren (2002). According to Ducharme (2014), the connection between Eiffel and San Sebastian Church was reportedly confirmed by Philippine historian Ambeth Ocampo while doing research in Paris. Ocampo published a report stating that the prominent architect I.M. Pei had visited Manila in the 1970s to confirm reports he had heard that Eiffel had designed an all-steel church in Asia. When Pei inspected San Sebastián Church, he reportedly pronounced that the metal fixtures and overall structure were indeed designed by Eiffel. The official catalogues of Eiffel make definite reference to the design and exportation of a church in Manila in 1875, thirteen years before construction of San Sebastian Church actually began. 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 work. Martinez (2008) stated that, for years, many have declared that the church was designed by monsieur Eiffel himself, however there were no known document (building permit?) that supports that claim. A Chinese-American, I.M. Pei visited the Philippines in the late 70’s confirmed after inspecting the church that the metal works and the overall structure were no less designed by Gustave Eiffel. Ambeth Ocampo discovered information in Europe proving that Eiffel’s steel engineering firm’s participation in the building of church. However, the discovery of Ocampo did not say that Eiffel was the architect of the San Sebastian Church. Thus, the closes connection of Eiffel with San Sebastian Church could be his ideas behind the innovative use of

steel that was incorporated to the building of the church and that he was working as a structural engineer for the Belgian firm where the metal parts of the church was manufactured. While Alcazaren (2002) said that the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA) feature differs from the official National Historical Institute (NHI) and other reports in that it credits Gustave Eiffel for the design of San Sebastian, saying that: "Records at the Libraries of Congress in Washington and of Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris attest that Eiffel designed a knock-down all-steel church for the Philippines." It is also reported that the Library of Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris has Eiffel’s biography and catalogue of complete works, which include "one church in Manila, Philippines, 1875." The dates from the NHI and PIA accounts seem not to tally but nearby bridges could give some clues to the conundrum. The Ayala Bridge is credited to Gustave Eiffel’s company but the date accorded is 1872. It may have been that both the Colgante and the Ayala bridges were originally designed by Gabaud but that Eiffel was called in to repair the bridge after it was found weakened (by an earthquake probably) in 1888. This was the same time that the San Sebastian was being built. Its columns and walls are made of iron. The temple seeks help to undertake a thorough restoration that protects the metal from moisture and rust. The 400th anniversary of the arrival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to the Philippines has been celebrated this year. Everything is absolutely made of steel. This is the Minor Basilica of San Sebastian, in Manila (Philippines). Its history, its devotion to the Our Lady of Mount Carmel that presides over the church and its particularity has made it one of the most important temples of the Order of Augustinian Recollects in the country. It is the only steel church in the Philippines, probably also in Asia and, according to researchers, it may be the first metal-built church in history. Currently, the Basilica of San Sebastian is part of the national heritage of the Philippines. “He is an icon of the Filipino faith.” This is what the parish priest of the temple, the Augustinian Recollect Antonio Zabala, values. “We are proud as Recoletos that this construction belongs to us,” he says. In 1880, the previous temple that was built on the same ground was destroyed. Public institutions closed the building to the cult – or what was left of it. The possibility was then suggested that it be constructed of metal.

“At that time steel was already being used in the railway, on trains, in public markets, but it had barely been used in the Church,” explains Rene Paglinawan, prior of the community of Augustinian Recollects in the parish. What began as a suggestion, the Augustinian Recollect friars liked it approved that the new church that was built on the demolished should be made of metal.

SAN SEBASTIAN CHURCH INTERIOR DETAILS:

Why a metal church? The Augustinian Recollects decided to undertake the challenge of building a steel church with the aim of combating three problems. The first of them, the earthquakes that make the Philippine country tremble assiduously. Likewise, a metal church would avoid fire, which are so common in the Philippines. Finally, because in this way the termites were prevented from eating the structures and collapsing the building again. The architect of the great and ‘iron’ temple was Genaro Palacios. However, according to historians, Gustave Eiffel – who had previously built the famous ‘Eiffel Tower’ in Paris or the Statue of Liberty in New York. The official catalogs of Eiffel refer to a possible design and export of a church in Manila in 1875, thirteen years before the construction of the church of San Sebastian began. If this were true, this would not exclude the possibility that Eiffel had designed the metal structure of the church. The threat of rust and the urgent restoration The main problem of the Basilica of San Sebastian is in its conservation. “Rust has been a problem that is deteriorating the original steel structure,” says the parish priest of San Sebastian. For this, the Order of Augustinian Recollects is carrying out a restoration program for ten years to recover the splendor of the basilica. “It is here that the Filipinos come together, and unite with one faith to work together, to make sure that this church is well preserved for the future generation of Catholics,” says Antonio Zabala. The Virgin of Mount Carmel: Filipino devotion Our Lady of Mount Carmel is for many Filipinos the main cause for which they go to the Basilica. Inside, the Augustinian Recollects preserve the first image of the Virgin that arrived in the Philippines. “It was a gift from the Carmelite nuns of Mexico to the Recollects,” says Rene Paglinawan. It was the first sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This year, the Basilica of San Sebastian celebrates the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the devotional image to the Philippines. Coming from Mexico, he came to the islands in 1618.

Construction (1888-1891) The prefabricated steel sections that would compose the church were manufactured in Binche, Belgium. According to historian Ambeth Ocampo, the knockdown steel parts were ordered from the Societe anonyme des Enterprises de Travaux Publiques in Brussels.In all, 52 tonnes (51 long tons; 57 short tons) of prefabricated steel sections were transported in eight separate shipments from Belgium to the Philippines, the first shipment arriving in 1888.Belgian engineers supervised the assembly of the church, the first column of which was erected on September 11, 1890. The walls were filled with mixed sand, gravel, and cement. The stained glass windows were imported from the Heinrich Oidtmann Company, a German stained glass firm, while local artisans assisted in applying the finishing touches. The church was raised to the status of a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII on June 24, 1890.Upon its completion the following year, on August 16, 1891, the Basílica Menor de San Sebastián was consecrated by Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa OP, the 25th Archbishop of Manila. According to Jesús Pastor Paloma, an Augustinian Recollect priest, the structure was also supposed to have a prefabricated retablo (reredos) altar, which was lost at sea when the ship carrying it from Belgium capsized in a storm. A wooden altar was made locally in its stead. Paloma also noted that the bottom part of the church was designed to resemble a ship's hull, so that it would sway during an earthquake.

SAN SEBASTIAN CHURCH INTERIOR

Features: San Sebastian Church has two openwork towers and steel vaulting. From its floor, the basilica's nave rises 12 meters (39 ft) to the dome, and 32 meters (105 ft) to the tip of the twin spires. The faux finished interior of the church incorporates groined vaults in the Gothic architecture style permitting very ample illumination from lateral windows. The steel columns, walls and ceiling were painted by Lorenzo Rocha, Isabelo Tampingco and Félix Martínez to give the appearance of marble and jasper. Trompe l'oeil paintings of saints and martyrs by Rocha were used to decorate the interiors of the church. True to the Gothic revival spirit of the church are its confessionals, pulpit, altars and five retablos designed by Lorenzo Guerrero and Rocha. The sculptor Eusebio Garcia carved the statues of holy men and women. Six holy water fonts were constructed for the church, each crafted from marble obtained from Romblon. 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. The image withstood all the earthquakes and fires which had destroyed previous incarnations of San Sebastian Church, but its ivory head was stolen in 1975. Cultural and historical declarations San Sebastian Church was declared a National Historical Landmark by President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree No. 260 on August 1, 1973. Subsequently, the church was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines on August 15, 2011, with the unveiling of the marker on January 20, 2012. On May 16, 2006, San Sebastian Church was included by the National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) in the Philippines' Tentative List for possible designation as a World Heritage Site, on account of its architectural and historical heritage. As of 2017, the church is no longer included in the Tentative List. Preservation I...