Trip to Vigan Ilocos Sur: Old Churches and Belfry in Vigan

My DH and I went visiting old churches in Vigan after we checked in at the Aniceto Mansion. The St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral also known as Vigan Cathedral is facing the Plaza Salcedo and on the side is Plaza Burgos. This is a big imposing baroque style architecture with its thick buttresses on the sides to protect it from earthquakes and typhoons. The bell tower or the belfry was built a few meters away from the church to keep it safe should the church come down during an earthquake. The original church was built on this same site in 1574 on orders of Juan De Salcedo, the conquistador and founder of Vigan. The chapel made out of wood and thatch material was damaged in the earthquakes of 1619 and 1627. Another was built in 1641 and this became a church. When the seat of the diocese of the Nueva Segovia in Cagayan was transferred to Vigan in 1758, this elevated the status of the church and it became a cathedral. In 1786, Governor Jose de Basco ordered another structure to replace the existing church. With the coming of the Augustinian friars in 1790, the cornerstone of the new church was laid. The church was finally completed in 1800.

The St. Paul Cathedral is on the left side of this Belfry.

The old and the new. McDonald's Restaurant is just beside this Belfry.

We hired a young man with his kalesa to take us on a tour to visit one of the oldest surviving churches in Vigan. This is St. Augustine Church which was built in 1590 and the Bantay Belfry which sits on top of a hill was built in 1591. The church was partly damaged during WW11 so it was reconstructed in 1950. On the grounds of the church is a statue of Our Lady of Charity, the patron saint of Nueva Segovia who is said to have watched over the city for many centuries. My DH and I climbed the wide stone stairs leading to the Belfry tower and we took turns taking pictures of ourselves for posterity and then he decided that he wants to go inside the tower. I was game at first but as we climbed higher and higher on the circular stairway of the tower, my fear for height got the better of me and my knees started shaking. It was really a hilarious situation. I just stood there clinging on a wooden post and I could not take another step forward because I was too nervous. I was only 4 steps short to the top and in spite of my DH coaching, I still could not make it. I just kept on laughing hysterically at myself and nothing my DH could say would make me climb the last 4 steps to get to the top. So I just stood where I was clinging for my dear life and I urged my DH to go ahead and he made it to the top. I was still able to get a good view of the entire area from where I was standing and it was really a beautiful sight to see. I wish that more people will visit this heritage city.