# Tuguegarao Cathedral

Saint Peter Metropolitan Cathedral, commonly known as Tuguegarao Cathedral, is an 18th-century Baroque Roman Catholic church located along Rizal Street, Barangay Centro 10, Tuguegarao, Cagayan, Philippines. The church, originally built by Dominican friars, is the seat of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao and is considered one of the largest churches in the Cagayan Valley. A historical marker bearing a brief history of the church was installed in 1982 by the National Historical Institute, precursor of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

## History

Tuguegarao was founded as a mission on May 9, 1604, by Dominican friars. Tomas Villa was assigned as its first vicar. Villa erected a temporary parochial structure made of light materials with Saint Peter and Saint Paul as patron saints. The current church is attributed to Antonio Lobato, who initiated the construction in 1761 and was completed in 1768. The reason why it is called "Cathedral" is because of the chair of the archbishop The church sustained heavy damage during World War II and was subsequently rebuilt by Bishop Constance Jurgens.

## Architecture

The cathedral's façade is described as whimsical and playful. Most notable of all its features is the broken and crested pediment that is mirrored in other churches in the Cagayan Valley namely, the churches of Dupax del Sur and Bambang and Saint Dominic's Cathedral in Nueva Vizcaya. Archival photos of the Calasiao Church in Pangasinan also showed that it once had the “Cagayan-style” pediment. Other notable architectural features of the church are consistently repeated on many of its parts and on the Ermita de San Jacinto, a Spanish-era brick chapel located on the opposite site of the Tuguegarao city proper.
| Architectural Detail | Location |
| High relief pilasters with alternating smooth and Solomonic/swisted design | Found on the façade and bell tower |
| Semicircular arch windows framed with finials and a triangular pediment | Found on the façade and majority of windows on the structure |
| Molded bricks containing various symbols such as roosters, papal tiaras, keys, gods, sun, moon, Marian symbols and symbols of the Dominican order | Found on both interior and exterior of the structure outlining windows and columns |
The main focal point of the façade is the deeply recessed oculus. To the left of the church rises the five-storey quadrilateral bell tower. The tower mirrors motifs from the façade such as the pilasters and framed windows. Blind windows can be found on the base. The bell tower is topped with a roofed canopy and a cross.
Some few meters away from the church is the Catholic cemetery with its notable brick arched entryway and fence.

### Restoration

Spearheaded by the city's parish priest, Gerard Ariston Perez, the parishioners started accumulating 25 million pesos for the restoration of the church. Included in the church's restoration are the rehabilitation of worn-out bricks, reverting the original painted ceiling from the trussed ceiling and the altarpieces.

## Gallery

* Tuguegarao Cathedral in 2017
* Details of the pediment and pilasters prior to the restoration
* Saint's niche and National Historical Institute marker
* Sacred Heart of Jesus monument in front of the cathedral
* Left transept altarpiece
* Main altarpiece
* Church nave as seen from main portal
* Church nave as seen from main altar
* Side walls
* Side portal