From the Nagacarlan Underground Cemetery, we proceeded to the Nagcarlan town proper. A notable feature of this town is its old and narrow 3-storey Spanish-era houses surmounted by small watchtowers. In those days, ostentatious displays of wealth were frowned upon so that the lot sizes were made quite small. To get around this restriction, the wealthy residents built up rather than outward. Hence, the tall structures.
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| Church of St. Bartolomew |
Opposite the market is the town’s tiered-wall St. Bartholomew Church. It was first built of light materials in 1583 by Fr. Tomas de Miranda. The second church, of brick and stone, was built in 1752 by Fr. Cristobal Torres but was badly damaged by fire in 1781. It was repaired by Fr. Atanacio de Argobajo soon after and continued by Fr. Fernando de la Puebla who also built the four-storey bell tower. Fr. Vicente Velloc restored it in 1845 in “Laguna Baroque” style and added a choir loft.
The church’s facade has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked and topped by semicircular arched windows. The super-positioned orders consists of coupled columns on the first level and single columns (reaching only halfway on the walls) on the second. Its pediment has a Baroque-inspired slightly curved raking cornice. The unusual bell tower is topped by Muslim-inspired crenelations. Built on alternating layers of stone and brick, its blue and white tiles impart a Moorish tone to an interior which features fine woodcarving in its 3 tableaus of antique santos, stained glass windows depicting Jesus Christ and the saints and a unique depiction of Purgatory in mural.