Wikimapia is a multilingual open-content collaborative map, where anyone can create place tags and share their knowledge.

San Sebastián Church (Manila)

Philippines / National Capital Region / Manila
 basilica, place with historical importance, Roman Catholic church, historic landmark, 1891_construction

The Basílica Menor de San Sebastian (commonly known as San Sebastian Church) is a fine example of the revival of Gothic architecture in the Philippines. It prides itself as the only all-steel basilica in Asia. The church is under the care of The Order of the Augustinian Recollects and is located at Legarda Street, Quiapo, Manila.

Two Belgian engineers supervised the construction of the church. On June 12, 1888, the first shipment of steel parts were brought to the Philippines. For two years, the church was assembled with local artists and craftsmen joining the Belgian firm in applying the final finishing touches on this new church of steel. The stained glass windows were imported from the Henri Oidtmann Company, a German stained glass firm. The engineering technique used in the construction of the church, including metal fixtures and the overall structure, were from Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower. This was confirmed when Chinese-American architect, I. M. Pei, visited the Philippines in the late 70’s. He came to confirm what he heard that Gustave Eiffel designed a steel church in Asia.

Address: Plaza del Carmen, Quiapo, Manila
Telephone: (02)734.8908 ; (02)736.1185
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   14°35'59"N   120°59'20"E

Comments

  • toby (guest)
    It is also the FIRST premanufactured structure in the world.
  • carl (guest)
    11th favorite church
  •  21 km
  •  76 km
  •  84 km
  •  124 km
  •  250 km
  •  274 km
  •  288 km
  •  310 km
  •  318 km
  •  330 km
This article was last modified 7 years ago