MANILA'S WALLED CITY: THE INTRAMUROS AND FORT SANTIAGO
Jan 27 '05
The Bottom Line A fascinating glimpse into the past of one of the world's great cities.
Modern day Metro Manila is an immense urban sprawl of modern concrete, glass and steel. More than ten million people live work and play here, and according to some who live here at times it seems that almost everyone one of them is on the often congested roads and streets at the same time.
Tucked into a small corner of the city though is another world. A small wedge shaped area fronted by the Passig River, Manila Bay and the open green space of the Luneta (Rizal Park). It is the Intramuros, the original Spanish Colonial city.
It's not a large area, barely one and a half kilometres long and at its widest part a little over a kilometre wide. Inside this small area though, is literally crammed more than 350 years of Filipino History.
The Intramuros is the original capital city, the seat of Government during the period of Spanish rule in the Philippines from 1590 until their expulsion after the Spanish American war in 1898.
It bears a striking resemblance to many other Spanish colonial cities such as Havana, Santo Domingo, and Cartagena. Massive walls and fortifications surround broad squares and grand houses and churches. The remnants of the triad with which Spain gained and later ruled her empire, the military, the church, and trade and commerce along with those who administered all three can all be found here.
The Spanish were not the first to use this site though. A Muslim chief from Malaysia established a settlement called Maynilad here, taking advantage of the strategic location at the mouth of the river for both defence and trade. It is believed that this was the farthest point north that Islam reached in the Philippines in the pre-colonial era.
In 1565 Spanish conquistadors under Miguel Lopez de Logasi moving north deposed the local chieftains and established a small wooden fort here. It in turn was replaced in 1589-90 by a more permanent stone structure and the site grew to become the seat of Spanish power and influence in the archipelago. In its heyday only Spaniards were allowed to reside inside the bastions and walls of the Intramuros. Entrance through the seven gates and drawbridges was strictly controlled for native Filipinos and others.
Despite its small size there is plenty to keep one occupied in the Intramuros. The narrow streets, designed long before the automobile lead to a vast treasure trove of sights and activities. Cafes and shops can be found throughout the area.
At the height of Spanish rule there were fifteen churches and six monasteries within the walls of the Intramuros. The Manila Cathedral, and the church and monastery of San Augustin are two of the more frequently visited. It was in the later that the Spanish governor of Manila officially surrendered in 1898 ending Spanish rule here. A museum of religious artefacts and icons is also located here.
Intermingled in with the churches, several of the mansions from the Spanish period still stand. The mansions of the Archbishop of Manila, and the Palacio del Gobernador (Governor's residence now the home of government and private business offices) are two of the more imposing residences in the Intramuros. One can also visit Los Hidalgos House also called Casa Manila, a restored Spanish colonial home open to the public every day of the week but Monday. Admission is 40 Pesos.
One of the most surprising attractions one comes across within this walled city is a golf course. When the Spanish left, the Americans drained and filled in most of the moat and turned it into a series of parks and gardens that now serve as a picturesque and popular backdrop for wedding photographs. Later part of the moat was turned into a small but still challenging 18 hole golf course around the walls. One of the hazards playing here is losing a ball in the nearby streets.
At the northern edge of the Intramuros is the still imposing structure of Fort Santiago. This is the stone fort on the banks of the Passig River built on the site of the original Muslim trading post and village.
The fort was the headquarters of the Spanish military and the ancient cannons still point from their revetments and overlook modern Manila. The fort is open to the public daily and admission is 40 Pesos. There are guides in period 19th century military uniforms stationed throughout the grounds. Their plastic nametags and small radios though are probably not authentic.
Amongst the key points in regards to Philippine history connected with the fort two stand out. It was here that Jose Rizal Filipino poet, patriot, and later a martyr for independence was imprisoned before his execution by firing squad in the nearby Luneta. On his last night in his cell he composed his last and best know work "Mi Ultimo Adios" (My last Farewell).
Visitors can see the cell and literally walk in his final footsteps. Painted footprints trace his final walk from the cell to the fort's gate and his execution site. One of the buildings has been turned into a museum dedicated to Rizal's memory (closed Mondays). Copies of Mi Ultimo Adios and his other writings in several languages are available here.
During the Japanese occupation in World War Two, Fort Santiago was used as a headquarters for the occupying forces and as a prison for both captured Americans and interred Filipinos. Numerous atrocities were committed here including the deaths of over six hundred people crammed into subterranean cells who drowned when the cells flooded in February 1945.
Despite it aged looks with crumbling wall and battlements, cobblestone streets, and wrought iron balconies surprisingly many of the buildings that make up the Intramuros are not the original structures of the 16th, 17th or even 18th Centuries. Like most of Manila the retreating Japanese Army devastated the city in 1945.
In addition three centuries of typhoons, floods, fires and earthquakes have also taken their toll. Many of the buildings are reconstructions of the originals, some rebuilt more than once.
The present Manila Cathedral for example is a reconstruction of the one destroyed during the war and later rebuilt by the Vatican. This was the fourth reconstruction/replacement of this church, the original being built in 1581, and rebuilt in 1614 and 1671.
None of this however seems to diminish the sense of history one finds here as you stroll the narrow streets or high tree lined battlements.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
JAMES23
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: James Smith
Location: Toronto Ontario CANADA
Reviews written: 450
Trusted by: 222 members
About Me:
I'm back
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.