page_title: Daraga Church
section_title: Façade
hierarchical_section_title: Daraga Church / Features / Façade
caption_attribution_description: English: The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Porteria also known as Our Lady of the Gate stands on top of a hill above the town of Daraga, Albay, Philippines. This is a photo of a cultural heritage property in the Philippines with ID PH-05-0002
context_page_description: Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish Church, commonly known as Daraga Church, is a Roman Catholic Church in the municipality of Daraga, Albay, Philippines under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Legazpi. The church was built by the Franciscans in 1772 under the patronage of the Our Lady of the Gate. Certain church sections were declared as a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines in 2007.
context_section_description: The church is known for its Churrigueresque architectural style in its façade, a fine example of Baroque architecture. The façade and its walls are made out of volcanic rocks, which are rich in the area. The current white façade is the result of a coating of lime for protection from deterioration.
  It is one of the few churches in the country that has four spiral columns known as Solomonic columns or salomónicas. The four columns bear round medallions, each with carved images of the four Evangelists. Another characteristic of the façade, which is unique to the church, is the absence of either vertical columns or horizontal cornices. Engraved on the façade and the adjacent belfry are statues of saints, mostly Franciscans, and rare religious seals such as the coats of arms of the Franciscan order, the Pope's tiara with the keys, and the five wounds or stigmata of St. Francis which survived the Second World War.
  The arch over the entrance has an inscription in Latin which reads, "Bene fundata est domus Domini supra firmam petram" (Well founded is the house of the Lord on firm rock). Symbols carved out of stones of the three theological virtues (hope, faith, charity) and the Eucharist are also engraved.
caption: The church and convent
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