BUILDER'S JOURNAL: Philippine North Trail

Monday, August 8, 2022

Philippine North Trail - Sta Maria Church

April 18, 2019

Mabuhay!

This is a photo and video journal of our travel to the historic city of Ilocos Sur featuring our visit to Sta. Maria Church with the official name of The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption officially listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993.

Getting There

Our north trail travel itinerary includes:

1. The Maria Church in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Norte

2. The Historic Vigan City in Ilocos Sur

3. The San Agustin Church of Paoay, Ilocos Norte

4. The Ferdinand Marcos Sr. museum in Batac Ilocos, Norte

5. Luna brother's museum in Badoc, Ilocos Norte

6. Sta. Catalina Beach in Ilocos Sur

The travel time from our point of departure to the first itinerary is around 5 hours.

The High Staircase Going Up

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The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (Nuestra Señora de la Asunción), commonly known as the Santa Maria Church, is the parish church of Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur province, Philippines. On December 11, 1993, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, a collection of four Baroque Spanish-era churches.

The Santa Maria Church is an attraction to tourists and Catholics in Ilocos Sur. It is a reminder of the four centuries of Spanish domination of that area and a unique structure with a diversified architectural design of bricks and mortar. It was built on top of a hill a lookout and a citadel as well as a religious center during the early administration of the region by friars and soldiers of Spain.

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Front & Right Side

The main building material used to construct this magnificent edifice is hand-molded clay brick. Clay is very abundant in the Philippines, so the quarry where they get this material is most likely nearby. At that time, clay brick building construction was rapidly gaining popularity due to its durability. The Philippines is most often visited by strong typhoons and earthquakes, and clay brick absorbs the sun's heat during the day and then releases it just before sundown.

Egg white plays a vital role in the construction of most churches in the Philippines. It is mixed with limed sand to create a very durable mortar mixture. The durability of this construction methodology is proven by the existence of this old structure. Filipinos use more egg yolk in their cooking recipes, so there is a surplus of egg whites that can be used in construction.

The wall on this side has a basrelief. A basrelief is a decorative architectural ornament such as sculpture, carving, or molding that protrudes on a wall surface.

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The Rear Side

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The Left Side

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The Bell Tower

The Bas relief

The wall on this side has a basrelief. A basrelief is a decorative architectural ornament such as sculpture, carving, or molding that protrudes on a wall surface.

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The Interior

The interior of this church is simple, with only a few decorative ornaments on the altar. The ceiling is painted white, and like most old Philippine churches, it does not have intricate paintings.