page_title: Baroque Churches of the Philippines
section_title: Miagao Church
hierarchical_section_title: Baroque Churches of the Philippines / Historical Context / Miagao Church
caption_attribution_description: English: Long exposure night photography of Miagao Church at the entrance gates. This is a photo of a cultural heritage property in the Philippines with ID PH-06-0025
context_page_description: The Baroque Churches of the Philippines are a collection of four Spanish Colonial-era baroque churches in the Philippines, which were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1993. The churches are also considered as national cultural treasures of the country.
context_section_description: The Miagao Church, also known as the Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva, stands on the highest point in the town of Miagao, Iloilo. The church's towers served as lookouts against Muslim raids and it is said to be the finest surviving example of 'Fortress Baroque'. The sumptuous facade epitomizes the Filipino transfiguration of western decorative elements, with the figure of St Christopher on the pediment dressed in native clothes, carrying the Christ Child on his back, and holding on to a coconut palm for support. The entire riotously decorated facade is flanked by massive tapering bell towers of unequal heights. The two bell towers are asymmetrical on account of them being designed by two different priests on two separate occasions. The interior of the church features a grand altar, thought to be the original 1700s altar that was lost in a fire, but recovered in 1982. The altar is gilded with Baroque motifs, and composed of three alcoves that hold effigies of St. Thomas of Villanova and St. Joseph, with the crucifixion in the center.
caption: Miagao Church
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