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Tumauini Church

Coordinates:17°16′31″N121°48′26″E/ 17.275395°N 121.807124°E/17.275395; 121.807124
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Tumauini Church
Saint Matthias Parish Church
Iglesia Parroquial de San Matías(Spanish)
Churchfaçadeandbell towerin 2022
Tumauini Church is located in Luzon
Tumauini Church
Tumauini Church
Location inLuzon
Tumauini Church is located in Philippines
Tumauini Church
Tumauini Church
Location in the Philippines
17°16′31″N121°48′26″E/ 17.275395°N 121.807124°E/17.275395; 121.807124
LocationTumauini,Isabela
CountryPhilippines
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
StatusParish church
Founded1707
Founder(s)Francisco Nuñez,O.P
DedicationSaint Matthias
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationNational Cultural Treasure
Architect(s)Fr. Domingo Forto
Architectural typeChurch building
StyleBaroque
Groundbreaking1783
Completed1805
Administration
ProvinceIsabela
ArchdioceseTuguegarao
DioceseIlagan
Clergy
ArchbishopMost Rev. Sergio L. Utleg, D.D
Bishop(s)Most Rev. David William V. Antonio, D.D.
Priest(s)Very Rev. Gregorio Marvic C. Uanan, JCD, JV

Saint Matthias Parish Church(Spanish:Iglesia Parroquial de San Matías), commonly known asTumauini Church,is aRoman Catholicchurchin the municipality ofTumauini, Isabela,Philippines, within the jurisdiction of theDiocese of Ilagan.It became a separateparishindependent fromCabaganunder the advocacy ofSaint Matthiasin 1751.

The church, known for its brick,Baroque-style architecture,was declared aNational Cultural Treasureby theNational Museum of the Philippines.Together with the churches ofBoljoon,Guiuan,LobocandLazi,the Tumauini Church has been considered for theUNESCOWorld HeritageTentative List since 2006 under the collective group ofBaroque Churches of the Philippines(Extension).

History

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Church interior in 2022

The first church made ofnipaand other light materials was built by theDominicanpriest Francisco Nuñez in 1707, and dedicated toSaint Matthias.[1][2]Tumauini became an independent parish fromCabaganin 1751.[1]The current church was built under the auspices of another Dominican, Domingo Forto, in 1783 and later continued by the priest Antonio Herrera in 1788.[3]In constructing the church, Forto hired artisans from as far south asPampanga.[3]It was completed in 1805.[1]

The church was damaged during theSecond World War;a faithful reconstruction program followed, with undamaged parts of the church building retained.[4]

Features

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Tumauini is an ultra-baroque church known for its extensive use of red bricks on its exterior and interior ornamentations.[3]Brick was used due to lack of good quality stones in the area.[5]

Façade

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The church's mainportal

The church building is made entirely of ornately designed red bricks in its façade and its interior walls.[4]A closer look at the brick façade shows numbers and dates for the correct sequence of the bricks in Forto's design.[3]The façade is flanked by two pseudo-Corinthiancolumns andniches,one located above the entrance and the two remaining larger niches on each side of the columns.[3]The church's circularpedimentis unique relative to all other churches built during theSpanish Era.[3]

Belfry

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Attached to the church's façade is a unique cylindricalbelfrybuilt in 1805.[4][6]It is the only known Spanish colonial era cylindrical tower in the country.[7]The tiered belfry notably resembles awedding cake.[8][9]

The bell housed within has bullet holes but was never recast.[10]

Convento

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The ruins of the church'sconvento(clergy house) are located on thegospel sideof the church.[4]

Historical and cultural declarations

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ChurchNHIhistorical marker installed in 1989

Tumauini Church was declared aNational Cultural Treasureby theNational Museum of the Philippines.TheNational Historical Commission of the Philippinesdeclared Tumauini Church a National Historic Landmark on February 24, 1989.[2]

It is also being considered for addition to theUNESCOWorld Heritage Sitesof the Philippines under theBaroque Churches of the Philippines(Extension) with the churches ofPatrocinio de MaríainBoljoon,Cebu;La Inmaculada ConcepcióninGuiuan,Samar;San Pedro ÁpostolinLoboc,Bohol;andSan Isidro LabradorinLazi,Siquijor.[4]

Notes

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  1. ^abcNational Historical Institute 1993,p. 176
  2. ^abMangubat, Kaye (September 20, 2012)."Five unique churches in the Philippines".Yahoo News Philippines.loQal.ph.Archivedfrom the original on September 22, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 11,2014.
  3. ^abcdefGaspar, Roger (1996)."Flowers in Brick: The Tumauini Church in Isabela".Archived fromthe originalon August 1, 2009.RetrievedOctober 9,2014.
  4. ^abcde"Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension)".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.RetrievedOctober 9,2014.
  5. ^Lim-Castillo 2007,p. 117
  6. ^Villalon, Augusto."Significant Examples of Church Architecture in the Philippines".National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Archived fromthe originalon October 14, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 11,2014.
  7. ^Ortiguero, Romsanne (March 17, 2013)."Why visit Isabela this summer? 10 great reasons to check out the Queen Province of the Philippines".Interaksyon.RetrievedSeptember 11,2014.
  8. ^Alba, Reinerio (September 29, 2003)."The Restoration of 26 Philippine Churches".National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Archived fromthe originalon September 3, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 11,2014.
  9. ^Enriquez, Marge (April 10, 2011)."Edifices of a people's faith".Philippine Daily Inquirer.Archived fromthe originalon October 23, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 14,2014.
  10. ^Jose, Regalado Trota."What to do with an Old Church (or Mosque or House)?".National Commission for Culture and the Arts.RetrievedOctober 9,2014.

Bibliography

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