How does culture reflect in these Baroque Churches?
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How does culture reflect in these Baroque Churches?
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Answer:
Explanation:
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.[1] The churches are also considered as national cultural treasures of the country.[2]
Baroque Churches of the Philippines
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Miagao Church.jpg
Miagao Church
Location
Philippines
Includes
Church of the Immaculate Conception of San Agustin (Manila)
Church of La Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion (Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur)
Church of San Agustin (Paoay)
Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva
Criteria
Cultural: (ii), (iv)
Reference
677bis
Inscription
1993 (17th Session)
Extensions
2013
Contents
World Heritage Site 677 Edit
The 2013 revision of UNESCO's World Heritage Site (WHS) 677, Baroque Churches of the Philippines.[3]
Historical Context Edit
There was a conglomeration of factors that led to the presence of Baroque elements in the architecture of the Philippines, specifically in church architecture. During the Spanish Colonial Period (1521–1898), Spanish missionaries arrived, sharing not only their religion but also their architecture, inspired from their native land. The Spaniards wished to create permanent, long-lasting churches as a testament to the power of God, and did not consider the current church structures in the Philippines as proper places to worship.[4] As most Spanish missionaries were not trained in architecture or engineering, the local townspeople including Filipinos and Chinese migrants, alongside the Spanish friars would take part in the building and design of local churches. The combination of ideas from the missionaries and locals effectively fused native Spanish designs with a uniquely Oriental style. The church's aesthetic was also shaped by limited access to certain materials, and the need to rebuild and adapt to natural disasters including fires and earthquakes, creating a style sometimes referred to as Earthquake Baroque.[5] The Baroque Churches of the Philippines is a serial inscription consisting of four Roman Catholic churches constructed between the 16thand the18th centuries in the Spanish period of the Philippines. They are located in separate areas of the Philippine archipelago, two at the northern island of Luzon, one at the heart of Intramuros, Manila, and the other in the central Visayas island of Iloilo. [6]
The four baroque churches of the Philippines are classified as UNESCO world heritage sites as they have important cultural significance and influence on future architectural design in the Philippines. The churches display certain characteristics that express a ‘fortress baroque,' such as thick walls and high facades that offer protection from marauders and natural disasters alike. The group of churches established a style of building and design that was adapted to the physical conditions in the Philippines which had an important influence on later church architecture in the region.[7]
The four churches further exemplify the baroque style with elaborate iconography and detailed scenes from the life of Christ, fusing traditional Catholic values from Spain with island elements such as palm fronds or patron saints dressed in traditional island clothing carved alongside scenes from the bible.[8] The lavish embellishment also reflects the Filipino attitude about the aesthetic of decorating, known as horror vacui, or ‘fear of empty spaces.’ The desire to fill plain spaces is evident in the decoration of the churches, which are brimming with cultural motifs from the western world along with traditional Filipino elements.[9]