The Miagao Church was built in 1797 by Spanish monks of the Augustinian order. It once served as a fortress. In 1993, this amazing structure, which blends Aztec and Baroque architecture, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The church, built of yellowish limestone in the city of Iloilo in the province of the same name on the island of Panay, is known for its intricately decorated facade and pyramidal bell towers. The front facade, flanked by two watchtowers, one can see a striking combination of Spanish and Filipino motifs.
The main feature of the facade bas-relief is a huge coconut palm tree, stretching almost all the way to the roof. This tree is an indispensable attribute of the typical Philippine landscape and the subject of numerous legends. According to one an old Filipino legend, the coconut palm was the only object inherited from a mother by her two children, and it was the palm tree that helped them to survive. On the façade of the church, the coconut palm is depicted as the "tree of life" on which St Christopher is leaning, carrying the baby Jesus on his shoulders. On the sides of the main entrance are bas-reliefs of the Pope and St Henry with their armorial shields. armorial shields. The other facades of the church depict the daily life of the indigenous people over the last hundred years. You can also see depictions of local flora and fauna, as well as folk costumes.
The church, along with the watchtowers, fulfilled another important function - it to protect the locals from raids by the warlike Moro tribe. That's why the walls of the church are so thick - about 1.5 metres, and somewhere under the rumoured to be secret passageways. One of the watchtowers is two storeys high, the other is three storeys high.
Miagao Church has survived many natural disasters, destroying the buildings around it, but it itself was not immune to two bloody wars. It was twice it was burnt down - during the revolution against the Spanish colonisers in 1898, and during the Japanese occupation of Panay Island in 1942-44. After the liberation of the island in 1945, the people of Panay collectively undertook the reconstruction of the temple.
Today, Miagao Church is deservedly regarded as one of the major architectural masterpieces of the Philippines, thanks to its unique and majestic design, jewellery and bas-reliefs.
