The Basilica of San Sebastian.

In 1621 a pious couple donated their vast estate where the Recollects established a convent and a church. During an uprising in 1639 the Church was looted and set on fire. The repaired Church suffered again from a terrible earthquake in 1645 and then again in1859, 1863 and 1880. In 1881, Don Palacios, director of public works, inspected the church and came up with the recommendation to build a steel church that could withstand future earthquakes.

The novel idea was approved by the Recollects. Palacios himself was commissioned to design the proposed steel church. The Gothic revival design was approved in 1883. Finally, in 1886, the Societe Anonyme d’Entreprise de Travaux Publics in Brussels, BELGIUM, was awarded the contract to undertake the construction of this church. 

The steel parts with a total weight of 1,527 tons were manufactured in Binche. On June 12, 1888, the ship William Burkitt docked in Manila bringing with it the first shipment of steel parts for the church. For two years, the Church was assembled with local artists and craftsmen joining the Belgian engineers. In 1891 the all steel church was inaugurated.

Some people would love a connection with Eiffel alas there is no proof he was involved in this project.

Click image to enlarge.

Those are old pictures that I took with my first digital camera. I was also too lazy to remove all the electrical wires in Photoshop. Sorry about that...

Comments

[DigitalPolaroids]

Wonderful pics, no worries abot photoshoping them!

[watson]

Sidney! These are wonderful photos! I have never fully explored the place, just the Quiapo church and the neighboring marketplace. I'll be sure to look this up next time.

[Midas]

Wow, this is really grand! I did noticed that in the Philippines, we have grand churches.

[zbjernak]

awesome cathedral...love the internal shot the most

[angie]

wow.

now that is a church.

absolutely gorgeous, sidney.

[Must Be That Girl!]

So beautiful! (sigh!) could have looked like its been plucked from a European scene, except for those wires. tsk! tsk! Pinoys do really need to find ways to value and preserve our heritage.

[Tok]

Cool architectural shots!!

[kty]

c'est un très beau batiment et l'intérieur est lui aussi très beua.

[owee]

great photos! :)
there is no place in the philippines where you can take a photo without wires. haha it just wouldn't look right if you photoshopped them out. :)

[dodong flores]

YOu don't need to remove those wires blocking the view to the church. That's the reality to be seen...

[max]

i will quote the bishops who criticize government about population management and contraceptives

.. "better spent in the alleviation of the poor and education" ..

[Osselin]

Very, very interesting.

[tutubi]

hi sidney, regarding eiffel, ambeth ocampo (of NHI) told me that in eiffel's list of works there is a mention of an all-steel church in manila. where is that? isn't that san sebastian? the only one in the country? :)

[deji77]

i'm glad u left the power lines in place. adds a certain character to the image :)

[Stunner]

Wonderful photos of this magnificent building.

[diong]

I used to eat at "Burger Machine" stand at the corner where you shot the second picture :-)

[oggi]

I'd like to know where this church is located. It is beautiful inside and out.

[[terrorkitten]]

What an amazing structure Sidney...the interior shots I love. The quality of the shots looks fine and it was great to read all the background to it...thanks for supplying us with that.

[Intern]

Beautiful images. Especially love the inetriors shot.

is it possible to remove all the elctric wires in photoshop???
I woudnt even have imaged that! I anyways like this kind of reporting with least manipulated images. so i'm happy with the wires.

[ChickyBabe]

There's a sense of renewal in that church. A bit difficult to explain.

[jms]

Je ne manquerai pas de la visiter lors de mon prochain voyage...

[Photo Cache]

This was my refuge for 5-6 years and I found the comfort and peace that I craved inside it.

[P.J.]

I really like the indoor shots. Well done.

[Kyels]

Beautiful church indeed. I missed out on this one totally when I was at Pinas but hopefully I'd be able to see it when I go there again sometime this or next year.

(:

[petitlouis]

Nice reportage !
Saint Sébastien, persécuté pour sa religion, servit de cible à des archers et figure presque toujours au moment de son supplice attaché à un arbre. Il fut l’un des saints les plus populaires au Moyen Âge, invoqué contre la peste.