SUBSCRIBETwo exciting book finds on Philippine colonial churches and art
Two exciting finds, one in Powerbooks Greenbelt and the other at the Ayala Museum. A must read for enthusiasts of colonial church architecture and history that is both awe inspiring and makes one proud but at the same time alarm to the various state of neglect of these structures.
Fortress of Empire - Rene Javellana
The country’s colonial fortress structures are documented in this beautiful book. Ancient ones still standing, preserved, or in different state of decay and ruin and those that were supposed to be standing but lost forever due to natural and manmade calamities. Its a rich resource for understanding the somewhat violent past, the Moro raids for slaves, how the communities under the Spanish colonial government defended themselves that most often, is led by a lone Spaniard in the person of the parish priest and in the process, came up with noble structures that stand proud like those in the various forts (Santiago in Intramuros and San Pedro in Cebu), the different watchtowers, though some are crumbling that stretch from the coastlines of Ilocos, the Visayas (to cite, the ingenious alarm system developed by Fr. Bermejo of Boljoon that snakes down the southern coastline of the province).
Simbahan: Church Art in Colonial Philippines 1565 - 1898 - Regalado Trota Jose
The structure, the priests’ vestments, altar pieces, convents and history richly detailed in this fine and affordable book. Though the photos are in black and white compared to the colored ones above, its very informative. It makes me want to document more the existing churches before they are lost forever due to natural or man-made calamities.
