Category Archives: SPECIAL TOPICS

National Gallery of Scotland Modern Two (Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.)

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National Gallery of Scotland Modern Two

The National Gallery of Scotland Modern Two, formerly the Dean Gallery, is one of the two buildings housing the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, one of Scotland’s national art galleries. Operated by National Galleries Scotland, it is twinned with Modern One which lies on the opposite side of Belford Road.

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The English-Baroque facade

It is home to a changing program of world-class exhibitions and displays drawn from the permanent collection. During our visit, On permanent display is a recreation of the Scottish sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi‘s studio, as well as his magnificent, 7.3 m. high sculpture, Vulcan, that dominates the the Paolozzi’s Kitchen (named after the Scottish sculptor), reaching from the floor to the ceiling.

One of the tower, over staircases, that contain chimneys

The museum is housed in a English Baroque-style building, with Classical detail, which started out as the Dean Orphanage (the subject of a watercolor painting c.1830 by Thomas Hamilton).  Built in Craigleith stone from the nearby quarry, it took three years to build. Contributing to the Edinburgh skyline, in the west of the city center, are the towers, over the staircases, that contain chimneys. Above the entrance is a clock that came from the original Orphan Hospital and, in turn, from the 1764 demolition of the Netherbow Port on the High Street, which formerly separated the High Street from the Canongate.

The exhibit space

For many decades, this building, owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, served as the Dean Education Centre before its conversion into a gallery designed by the architect Terry Farrell and Partners. In 1999, the gallery opened opposite the existing Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. In 2011, both buildings were rebranded Modern Two and Modern One, respectively.

the 73 m. high Vulcan sculpture of Eduardo Paolozzi (1989)

Modern Two houses the Paolozzi Gift, a collection of works by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, given by the artist to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in 1994, as well as the gallery’s world-famous collection of Surrealism (including works by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Alberto Giacometti) and a large collection of Dada and Surrealist art and literature largely made up by the collections of Roland Penrose and Gabrielle Keiller.

Modern Two also houses temporary exhibitions, a library (its great strengths are Dada and Surrealism, early twentieth century artists and contemporary Scottish art), an archive and a special books collection.

Two Lines Up Excentric VI (George Rickey, 1977, stainless steel)

The archive, containing over 120 holdings relating to twentieth and twenty-first century artists, collectors and art organizations, including the gallery’s own papers, holds one of the world’s best collections of Dada and Surrealist material. The special books collection, containing over 2,500 artist books and limited edition livres d’artiste (again with a main focus on Dada and Surrealism), also contains books by other major artists from the twentieth century including Oskar Kokoschka‘s Die Träumenden Knaben (1917) and Henri Matisse’s Jazz (1947), all available to the public in the reading room which is only open to the public by appointment. The Gabrielle Keiller Library hosts regular changing displays that showcase items from these collections.

Master of the Universe (Eduardo Paolozzi, 1989)

Modern Two is surrounded by a sculpture garden with a number of modern and avant-garde works on display, including Gate (1972) by William Turnbull, Two Lines up Excentric VI (1977) by George Rickey, La Vierge d’Alsace (1919–1921) by Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, There will be no Miracles Here (2007–2009) by Nathan Coley, Master of the Universe (1989) by Eduardo Paolozzi, Two Two-Way Mirrored Parallelograms Joined with One Side Balanced Spiral Welded Mesh (1996) by Dan Graham, Macduff Circle (2002) by Richard Long, and Escaped Animals (2002) by Julian Opie.

National Gallery of Scotland Modern Two: 75 Belford Rd, Edinburgh EH4 3DR, United Kingdom.  Tel: +44 131 624 6200.  E-mail: enquiries@nationalgalleries.org. Website: www.nationalgalleries.org.  Open daily, 10 AM to 5PM. Coordinates: 55°57′06.52″N 3°13′26.75″W.

National Gallery of Scotland Modern One (Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.)

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National Gallery of Scotland Modern One

The National Gallery of Scotland Modern One, with its renowned collection of more than 5,000 items dating from the late 19th century to the present day, is housed in the former Watson’s Institution Building which was designed, in the Greek Doric style, by William Burn (1789-1870) and completed in 1825 as the John Watson School for Fatherless Children of the Professional Classes.  Its five-bay Neo-Classical frontage has a grand, six-columned portico.

The five-bay Neo-Classical frontage

In 1979, the building, with its classrooms and dormitories, was bought by the Crown Estates Commissioners and was successfully adapted, to its new function, from 1981 to 1984.  In 2011, its name was changed to Modern One. Operated by National Galleries Scotland, it is twinned with National Gallery of Scotland Modern Two which lies on the opposite side of Belford Road.

Check out “National Gallery of Scotland Modern Two“

The museum lobby

International post-war work features art by Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Joan Eardley and Alan Davie, with more recent works by artists including Douglas Gordon, Antony Gormley, Robert Priseman and Tracey Emin and an outstanding collection of modern Scottish art.

Ah Kong – Ghost (Rae-Yen Song, 2022)

It presents works from the collection as well as a program of changing exhibitions. The early part of the collection features important Surrealist and German Expressionist art from the beginning of the twentieth century, with paintings by Giacometti, Hockney, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

Lee Miller (Pablo Picasso, 1937, oil on canvas)

Also included are works by André Derain and Pierre Bonnard, cubist paintings, holdings of expressionist and modern British art, and 20th century Scottish Colourists Samuel John Peploe, John Duncan Fergusson, Francis Cadell and Leslie Hunter.

Glacier Chasm (Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, 1951, oil on canvas)

The collection also includes ARTIST ROOMS, a collection of modern and contemporary art acquired for the nation by National Galleries Scotland and Tate with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund and the Scottish and British Governments.

?I Am Your Conduit (2014, thread embedded in handmade cotton paper)

The growing collection includes works by major international artists including Andy Warhol, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Mapplethorpe and Damien Hirst. The collection includes the larger of Roy Lichtenstein‘s In the Car pieces. The displays change on a regular basis.

Self-Portrait (Robert Mapplethorpe, 1980)

In 2002, the lawn to the front of Modern One was re-landscaped to a dramatic, award-winning (it won the prestigious Gulbenkian Prize in 2004) design by architectural historian Charles Jencks (b. 1939) entitled Landform Ueda, an eye-catching work or art in their own right.

Grace Jones (Robert Mapplethorpe, 1984, gelatin silver print on paper)

This sinuous series of grass-covered stepped terraces that rises to form a serpentine mound, with three pools of water occupying crescent-shaped hollows in between.  It also includes the remains of an 18th century windmill.

Tightrope Walker (Paul Klee, 1923, color lithograph on paper) (Copy)

Two Figures (Natalia Goncharova, ca. 1910-20, pencil and crayon on paper)

The sculpture park includes bronze works such as Personnage (1978) and Femme (Woman) (1970) by Joan Miro; Conversation with Magic Stones (1973) by Barbara Hepworth; and Reclining Figure (1951) by Henry Moore; among others.

Conversation with Magic Stones (Barbara Hepworth, 1973, bronze)

Reclining Figure (Henry Moore, 1951, bronze)

The Neo-Classical façade of Modern One is home to Martin Creed‘s Work No. 975, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT. Modern One backs on to the Water of Leith river and walkway, which can be accessed by a long flight of steep steps behind the Gallery.

Landform Ueda (Charles Jencks)

Personnage (Joan Miro)

National Gallery of Scotland Modern One: 73 and 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh EH4 3DR, Scotland, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 131 624 6200. E-mail: enquiries@nationalgalleries.org. Website: www.nationalgalleries.org. Open daily, 10 AM to 5 PM.  Admission is free.

Church of St. Cuthbert and Graveyard (Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.)

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St. Cuthbert Parish Church

The historic parish church of St Cuthbert, and its graveyard, are a significant part of Edinburgh’s heritage (the church has been a Category A listed building since 1970) that are both well-maintained.  The church, on the oldest continually used site of worship in the whole city, a parish church of the Church of Scotland.  The earliest church on the site was said to have been founded by St. Cuthbert around 670 AD.

The graveyard beside the church

Partly due to its closeness to Edinburgh Castle, the church was, at different times, caught in cannon crossfire between opposing armies, suffering severe damage or being destroyed as a result and it is believed that there have been seven churches built on its site. The present church of St Cuthbert’s, built in the Baroque and Italian Renaissance style, was designed (except for the steeple of the previous church which was retained), by Hippolyte Blanc and built between 1892 and 1894. It is apparently quite beautiful inside, with stained glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Douglas Strachan, and Ballantyne & Gardiner; mural paintings by Gerald Moira and John Duncan; and memorials by John Flaxman and George Frampton.  However, on this particular day, it was closed to visitors.

The twin, 3-storey Baroque towers with the old steeple in between

The church, divided into upper and lower levels by a continuous course of ashlar dressings, has a roughly dressed and snecked, cream sandstone exterior, with every corner decorated with half-fluted Corinthian pilasters, on the upper stage (pierced with round-arched windows, with architraves  supported by half-fluted Corinthian pilasters, of each of the four western bays), and quoining on the lower (each bay pierced by an oblong window below a corniced architrave). The slated roof rests at a shallow pitch. The near-identical north and south elevations terminate with square-based, three-storeyed Baroque towers on the east sides of the transepts.

One of the twin, Baroque-style towers

The church itself was where the almost 40-year old crime writer Agatha Christie married the 26-year old (a nearly 14-year age gap which was considered scandalous by some at that time) archaeologist Max Mallowan, her second husband, in 1930, a runaway affair, with the couple eloping northwards, from England to Edinburgh, where the service was conducted without friends or family, and just two strangers brought off the street to act as witnesses to the ceremony.

The large graveyard, near Edinburgh Castle, is believed to be on the oldest Christian site in Edinburgh.  The graveyard is impressive, containing hundreds of monuments worthy of notice, including one to John Grant of Kilgraston (near Perth), and a number of graves that are worth examining as it holds the remains of notable individuals like Thomas De Quincey (1785–1859, author of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater) and John Napier. The first reference to a graveyard here is recorded as being in 1595.

The graveyard

The mathematician John Napier (1550–1617) discovered logarithms and invented ‘Napier’s Bones’ (because the instruments were originally carved from bone or ivory), a device for easily calculating large sums, a precursor to the pocket calculator. He is buried in an underground vault on the north side of the church (reburied after destruction of the kirkyard of St. Giles to build Parliament House).

The three-bay Gothic mausoleum of the Gordons of Cluny, by David Bryce contains the tomb of Cosmo Gordon of Cluny FRSE (1736–1800), a politician and co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783.

Obelisks used to mark the graves of notable individuals and families

Robert Tait McKenzie, a Canadian doctor and sculptor, created the memorial known as The Call 1914, in nearby Princes Street Gardens, which commemorates the Scots soldiers who were killed or injured during the First World War. His heart is buried in St Cuthbert’s kirkyard, with a small decorative plaque commemorating his life. Mackenzie originally wanted to be buried in front of the memorial after his death.

Sir Henry Raeburn (1756–1823), one of Scotland’s foremost portrait painters in the eighteenth century, is buried on the eastern wall of the graveyard. Another artist buried here is Alexander Nasmyth (1758–1840), also an architect and inventor, whose most notable painting is the much-copied portrait of Robert Burns. His son, James Nasmyth, also a prolific inventor, is most famous for the steam hammer while his other son, Patrick Nasmyth continued the family line as an artist of note.

Also buried here is Jessie MacDonald, granddaughter of Flora MacDonald (who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Young Pretender of the Jacobite Uprisings, escape Scotland after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746), and George Meikle Kemp (1795–1844), the self-taught architect and master joiner whose major gift to the city of Edinburgh was the Scott Monument, the “Gothic rocket’’ of in Princes Street Gardens.

Other noteworthy burials in the graveyard include:

Many were also buried within the church. They include William Paul (1754–1802), Chaplain in Ordinary to George III; and Sir James Rocheid of Inverleith (1715–1787).

West of the transept, on the north side, are steps that descend to a round-arched doorway, in the basement level, that lead to the Nisbet of Dean burial vault. Buried here is Henrie Nisbet of Dean (died 1609) and his son William Nisbet of Dean. Henrie was Provost of Edinburgh, from 1592 to 1593, while William was twice Provost of Edinburgh 1615 to 1619 and 1622 to 1623. Constructed in 1692, it was retained during the construction of the current church and its predecessor.

Dog sculpture commemorating Edinburgh’s sister city of San Diego (California, USA) and their respective celebrity dogs (Greyfriar’s Bobby, of Edinburgh, and Bum of San Diego)

St, Cuthbert Church Graveyard: 5 Lothian Road, New Town, Edinburgh, EH1 2EP, Scotland.

Fort Augustus (Scotland, U.K.)

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Fort Augustus and the Caledonian Canal

Part of Scottish Highlands Tour

From Spean Bridge, it was another 36.7 kms. (a 30-min. drive), via A82, to Fort Augustus, a charming settlement and popular and busy tourist destination in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff, at the south-west end of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, home of the famous Loch Ness Monster (fondly called Nessie).  Here we were to have lunch and, afterwards, go on a boat cruise around Loch Ness. It was raining throughout when we arrived and we had to bring out our umbrellas to get to Monster Fish & Chips, adjacent to the Jet Petrol Station, where we first tried out a huge serving of its namesake.

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Monster Fish and Chips

Jet Petrol Station

Until the early 18th century, the settlement was called Kiliwhimin. After the Jacobite rising of 1715, it was renamed Fort Augustus after  Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, one of the sons of King George II.  From 1903 until 1933, the village was served by a rail line, from Spean Bridge, to a terminus on the banks of Loch Ness.  It was built by the Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway in the hope of eventually completing a line to Inverness and latterly operated by the North British Railway and its successor, the London and North Eastern Railway, but initially operated by the Highland Railway.

Caledonian Canal

 

After lunch, I proceeded to explore the village on foot.  Fort Augustus is centered around the impressive, 96 km. (60 mi.) long Caledonian Canal.  The canal, connecting Fort William to Inverness, passes through Fort Augustus in a dramatic series of locks stepping down to Loch Ness. The canal was built, between 1804 and 1822, under the direction of William Jessop and Thomas Telford.  Boats using the canal are raised and lowered 13 m. by a “ladder” of 5 consecutive locks, all completed in 1820.  The A82 road crosses the canal on a swing bridge at the foot of the 5 locks.

War Memorial Hall

The single storey War Memorial Hall, a public hall converted to the Territorial Drill Hall (and later returned to its original function), was designed by Inverness-born architect John Robertson (1840-1925) and built from 1891 to 1892.  It Italianate style detailing includes round arch windows with unusual convex moldings and deep overhanging beams.  The interior includes a good hammerbeam roof in the main hall.

The Clansman Centre

A memorial plaque, set in a round arch recess at the porch front of the hall, has a battlemented parapet and was built in 1918.  It commemorates the residents of Fort Augustus who were killed or missing in the First World War (21 names) and the Second World War (5 names).

The Mill Shop

The village’s economy is heavily reliant on tourism and all around the town are many gift and souvenir shops selling tartan treats (scarves, blankets, woolen jumpers, etc.), traditional Scottish souvenirs and Nessie souvenirs such as the Caledonian Canal Visitor Centre, The Mill Shop (a converted church), the Fort Augustus Gift Company, the Clansman Centre, etc.

Caledonian Canal Centre

The Caledonian Canal Visitor Centre, beside the lowest lock, offers visitors and locals a wealth of local heritage and internationally renowned local features of the Caledonian Canal (designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1822), Great Glen and Loch Ness. This world-class visitor and destination hub also offers all year round facilities for visitors, a gift shop promoting relevant and locally sourced goods and a café serving homemade, Scottish produce. There is also a grab and go offer, boasting fresh coffee and local artisan ice cream from the Black Isle Dairy.

Fort Augustus Gift Company

The Clansman Centre, housed in a historic 19th century Victorian schoolhouse, is a quaint little craft and gift shop specializing in Celtic and locally produced crafts and gifts such as silver jewelry, Harris Tweed, tartan, whiskey barrel clocks and frames, Celtic plaques, clan scarves and Nessie souvenirs. An interactive museum, it also offers shows on the Clansmen, featuring live re-enactments with weapons demonstrations, by costumed actors dressed in traditional Highland garb, in a recreated Highland turf house theater.

Bothy Restaurant & Bar

Aside from Monster Fish & Chips, you can also dine at Bothy Restaurant & Pub, The Moorings and the Boathouse.

The Moorings

The Boathouse

Monster Fish & Chips: 6, A82, Fort Augustus PH32 4DD, United Kingdom.

Fort Augustus Gift Company: Main Street, Fort Augustus PH32 4DD, United Kingdom.

The Mill Shop: Mackay Hall, Fort Augustus PH32 4DJ, United Kingdom.  Tel: +44 1320 366404. Open daily,10 AM to 4 PM.

Caledonian Canal Visitor Centre: Canal Side, Fort Augustus PH32 4AU, United Kingdom. Open daily, 9 AM to 5 PM. Tel: 01463 725581.  E-mail: stay@scottishcanals.co.uk.

Clansman Centre:   Old Schoolhouse Canal Side, Fort Augustus PH32 4BD, United Kingdom.  Open daily, 11 AM to 4 PM.  Tel: +44 1320 366444.  E-mail: clansmancentre@gmail.com. Website: www.clansmancentre.uk. 

The Hairy Coo:  Suites 6 & 7, Administrative Office Only, St. John’s Studios, 46A Constitution St., Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6RS, United Kingdom.  Tel: +44 131 212 5026.  E-mail: contact@thehairycoo.com. Website: www.thehairycoo.com.

How to Get There: Fort Augustus is located 161 kms. (100  mi.) from Edinburgh and 692 kms. (430 mi.) from London. The village is served by the A82 road and lies approximately midway between Inverness (56 kms.) and Fort William (51 kms.) in the Scottish Highlands.  Coordinates: 57.1432°N 4.6807°W.

The National: Impressionism and French Modernism, 1870-1900 (Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.)

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Impressionism, an influential style of painting that originated in France in the late nineteenth century, during a time of great social and cultural change, was a revolutionary art movement that had a broad-ranging impact on the development of modern art. It focused on painting “vision,” considering how we see, not what we see;

Montagne, Sainte-Victoire (Paul Cezanne, 1890-95, oil on canvas)

It preceded the development of avant-garde movements, particularly Cubism. Their interest in the abstract properties of color, light, line and form separated painting from its role as instructive and illustrative, opening it up to the freedom of individuality and emotion, leading the way for Fauvism and Expressionism in the early twentieth century.

Olive Trees (Vincent van Gogh, 1889, oil on canvas)

Collectively the Impressionists sought to capture the impression of a scene through lively brushstrokes and they often worked en plein air, producing works of art rapidly in a single sitting. They influenced artists such as John Singer Sargent who applied the Impressionist approach to portraiture.

Orchard with Apricot Trees in Blossom, Arles (Vincent van Gogh, 1883, oil on canvas)

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas focused on figures in motion, such as racehorses, or the dancers at the Paris Opera. Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot and others preferred to work out of doors, capturing the changing effects of light and weather. However, Morisot was limited to domestic subjects, reflecting the restrictions on women of her social status. Henri Martin and Paul Gauguin began to paint from the imagination, while Paul Cézanne adopted a more analytical approach to landscape. Vincent van Gogh developed an expressive technique derived from Neo-Impressionism, whereby the paint was applied using dots or strokes of color.

The Big Trees (Paul Cezanne, 1902-04, oil on canvas)

The display features a selection of paintings by Impressionist artists, from Claude Monet (Haystacks, A Seascape, Shipping by Moonlight, Poplars on the Epte, etc.) to Berthe Morisot (Woman and Child in a Garden), Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas (A Group of Dancers, Portrait of Diego Martelli) John Singer Sargent (Gertrude Vernon, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw) as well as later works by Paul Gauguin (Vision after the Sermon, Martinique Landscape, Vision of the Sermon, Three Tahitians, etc.), Paul Cézanne (The Big Trees, Montagne Sainte-Victoire) and Vincent van Gogh (Olive Trees, Orchard with Apricot Trees in Blossom, etc.). 

The Vision of the Sermon (Paul Gauguin, 1888, oil on canvas)

Impressionism and French Modernism, 1870-1900: Level 1, The National, The Mound, Edinburgh EH2 2EL, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 131 624 6200.  E-mail: enquiries@nationalgalleries.org. Website: www.nationalgalleries.org. Open daily, 10 AM to 5 PM.  Admission is free.

How to Get There: the museum is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street.

Bosphorus Strait Cruise (Istanbul, Turkey)

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Istanbul and the Bosphorus Strait

After a 12 hour, 35 min. long flight from NAIA international Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, our Turkish Airline (Flight Number TK265) arrived at Istanbul International Airport by 12:30 PM, Sunday, June 16.

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The Touristanbul counter at the Istanbul International Airport

Before visiting Turkey, we obtained an e-visa ($30 per pax) at the www.evisa.gov.tr/ website (check your country’s requirements to see if it is necessary to obtain a visa to enter Turkey). If you are eligible for an e-visa, you may obtain it from the Turkish Airlines Sales / Ticket Desks before or on the day of your departure.

Boarding our Touristanbul bus at the airport

Our connecting international flight to Edinburgh Airport, Scotland was still 18 hours and 45 minutes later so we took advantage of our complimentary Touristanbul service to discover Istanbul, the city that never sleeps, during our layover time. According to the time frame best suited to your flight arrival and departure schedule, we selected the 6:30 PM-11 PM tour, one of the eight carefully arranged and planned tours offered by Touristanbul for those with a layover between six and 24 hours.

BUDO Eminonu Pier

With such an abundance of historical sightseeing spots in Istanbul and too little time to squeeze them all into your short holiday, an unforgettable cruise, between two continents (Asia and Europe) along the 32-km. long Bosphorus Strait (not a river) is probably the most overlooked Istanbul tourist attraction. After our Turkish Airlines connecting international flight landed at İstanbul Airport, we proceeded all the way through into international arrivals (past baggage claim), turned right and walk to the end of the hall to TourIstanbul, opposite of the arrival hall of the Turkish Airlines and opposite the passport control at the Transfer Desk.

Boarding the Naral Istanbul

Upon arrival, we all signed up for the free Touristanbul tour at the Hotel Desk in the International Arrivals Terminal of İstanbul Airport (you can also sign up at the Touristanbul Desk Office in the Transfer desk area), using our ticket number issued by Turkish Airlines ticket number starting 235, and got a ticket for the queue.  Istanbul Airport only provides one-hour free wi-fi to fliers that are in the Departure Area.

Paula, Selena, Jandy and Grace on board the Naral Istanbul

The author (right) with Jandy and Grace (photo: Selena Sta. Maria)

Touristanbul is available for Turkish Airlines’ flights, including code share flights. There is no hotel offered. If a guest is unable to make their flight, in cases that are their responsibility, they will ensure that the passenger reaches their destination smoothly via the next flight.

Galata Bridge, the fifth on the same site, was built in 1994. The bridge was named after Galata (the former name for Karaköy) on the northern shore of the Golden Horn. This bascule bridge is 490 m. (1,610 ft.) long with a main span of 80 m. (260 ft.). The deck of the bridge is 42 m. (138 ft.) wide and has two vehicular lanes and one walkway in each direction. Tram tracks running down the middle of it allow the T1 tram to run from Bağcılar, in the western suburbs to Kabataş, a few blocks away from Dolmabahçe Palace.

After signing up and booking our tour, we were picked up by a friendly and well-informed guide named Eray and boarded an airconditioned tourist bus with about 40 other guests. Before joining the tour, we stored our heavy luggage at the luggage office next to the hotel desk ($18 per piece) and just brought our hand-carried bags with us which were stored in the boot of the bus.  The 42.2-km. bus ride, from the airport to the boat landing near the Golden Horn Metro Bridge, took us around 45 mins.

Bosphorus Bridge, the oldest and southernmost of the three suspension bridges spanning the Bosphorus strait, is a gravity-anchored suspension bridge with steel towers and inclined hangers. The aerodynamic deck hangs on steel cables. The bridge is 1,560 m. (5,118 ft.) long, with a deck width of 33.40 m. (110 ft.). The distance between the towers (main span) is 1,074 m. (3,524 ft.) and the total height of the towers is 165 m. (541 ft.). The clearance of the bridge, from sea level, is 64 m. (210 ft.).

The tour covers a lot of territory.  During this unforgettable, two-hour tour experience on board the 24 m. long and 7 m. wide pleasure craft Naral Istanbul, cruising at an average speed of 7.2 knots, having a fabulous view of the legendary Bosphorus Strait and saw some of Istanbul’s most notable and iconic historical sites, structures and monuments. Its rolling hills are covered with a mix of ancient and modern architecture, all of them overlooking the water.

The Maiden’s Tower between Europe and Asia

The Maiden’s Tower (Kiz Kulesi), built in 1725 0n a small islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus Strait, between the European and Asian sides, is one of the landmarks and most storied structures of Istanbul.

Maiden’s Tower, a small islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait, 200 m. (220 yds.) from the coast of Üsküdar, has a café and restaurant with views of the former Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman capital at Sarayburnu. Private boats ply back and forth between the tower and the shore throughout the day. The tower appeared on the reverse of the Turkish 10 lira banknote from 1966 to 1981.

Formerly an observation terrace, a tax collection area for merchants, a hospital and a lighthouse, it now houses a café and restaurant. Recently, it was featured in the 1999 James Bond film The World is Not Enough. From 1966 t0 1981, the tower also appeared on the reverse side of the Turkish 10 lira banknote.

Hatice Sultan Mansion, a historical yalı (waterside mansion) located at Bosporus, in the Ortaköy neighborhood, was named after its original owner Hatice Sultan. It is used today as a water sports club’s building.

Naime Sultan Yalisi was given to Sultan Abdul Hamid II’s favorite daughter Naime upon her marriage to Mehmed Kemaleddin Bey in 1898.

The Bosphorus Strait is home to many beautiful and historical mansions (yalilar).  Many designed by members of the Balyan family (Armenian architects for the Ottoman court for five generations), they are considered an important cultural heritage of Istanbul.   Of the original 600 mansions, about 360 are still standing, with 150 preserved in their original form, each reflecting a particular era and architectural style.

Dolmabahce Palace was home to six Sultans from 1856, when it was first inhabited, up until the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924: The last royal to live here was Caliph Abdülmecid Efendi. A law that went into effect on March 3, 1924, transferred the ownership of the palace to the national heritage of the new Turkish Republic.

Gracing the edges of the Bosphorus Strait, on the European side, is the beautiful and elegant Dolmabahce Palace, the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire (from 1856 to 1887 and from 1909 to 1922), was built from 1843 and 1856 and was home to the Sultan up to the end of the Ottoman Empire.

Beylerbeyi Palace, an imperial Ottoman summer residence built between 1861 and 1865, is now situated immediately north of the first Bosphorus Bridge. It was the last place where Sultan Abdulhamid II was under house arrest before his death in 1918.

The Beylerbeyi Palace, at the Asian side, is an imperial Ottoman summer residence built between 1861 and 1865.  Designed in the Second Empire style by Sarkis Balyan, it is now a museum.

Ciragan Palace, built by Sultan Abdulaziz to replace the old Çırağan Palace which was at the same location, was designed by the Armenian palace architect Nigoğayos Balyan and constructed by his sons Sarkis and Hagop Balyan between 1863 and 1867. It is now a five-star hotel in the Kempinski Hotels chain.

Four Seasons Istanbul Hotel, formerly the Atik Pasha Palace, is a renovated 19th century Ottoman palace that sits on the European bank of the Bosphorus Strait. Now a hotel with 170 guestrooms and suites, it has magnificent views of the hills of Asia.

Former 19th century Ottoman palaces, on the European side of the Bosphorus, that have been renovated and converted into hotels include the five-star, 317-room Ciragan Palace Kempink and the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul. On the other hand, the Shangri-la Bosporus is a restored 1930s tobacco warehouse with a Neo-Classical façade.

Shangri-la Istanbul Hotel, located between Dolmabahce Palace and Naval Museum on the European coast of the Bosphorus, emulates a modern art museum, showcasing more than 1,000 European and Asian pieces.

The city continues its long history as the center of architecture as diverse and rich as its past, with new buildings also being built upon the ancient landscape. The 400,000 sq. m. Galataport Istanbul, a world-class, innovative underground cruise ship port stretching 1.2 kms. along the coastline, is a mixed-use development housing around 250 shops and restaurants, a Peninsula hotel and other cultural and entertainment facilities.

Galataport has space for three large cruise ships to dock side by side behind specially designed screens that rise to ensure that no one can leave the ships without passing through the Customs and Immigration facilities but that are retracted when no ships are in port. Customs and Immigration facilities are located underground, with most of the overground space taken up by shops, restaurants and offices.

Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, inaugurated on December 11, 2004, it is Turkey’s first modern and contemporary art gallery. Focusing on Turkish artists, it is a private venture under the umbrella of the nonprofit Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts.

It also incorporates the Istanbul Modern Art Museum (designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano along the waterfront zone of Karaköy, it was opened last May 2023), the İstanbul State Art and Sculpture Museum of the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and the restored Paket Postanesi (Parcel Post Office), now a symbol of Galataport.

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, established on January 1, 1882 under the leadership of Osman Hamdi Bey, as the College of Fine Arts, the Ottoman Empire’s first educational institution for fine arts and architecture.

Parcel Post Office (Paket Postanesi), built from 1905 to 1911, was designed by engineer S. Saboureaux. It is one of the oldest structures of the port area and one of the finest in the city with its characteristic slate dome and roof, unique spaces and facades. The restored Post Office, now featuring 73 boutique stores facing the interior and exterior courtyards, has a 180-m. long coastline overlooking the historical peninsula.

Atop Little Camlica Hill in Uskudar is the futuristic, 369 m. high (221 m. of which is a 49-storey reinforced concrete structure with 18 m. below ground) Camlica TV and Radio Tower, the highest structure in Istanbul.

The Camlica Radio and TV Tower has panoramic elevators rising from the ground floor to the top floor. Located on both sides of the main building, these elevators symbolize the Bosphorus, which both separates and integrates the Asian and European continents.

Completed in 2020, this telecommunications tower has observation decks and restaurants.  Designed by Melike Altinisik Architects (MMA) firm, the building was inspired by the tulip flower, a symbol of the Turks during the Ottoman period

The 936 m. long, €146.7 million Golden Horn Metro Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge carrying the M2 line of the Istanbul Metro, is the fourth bridge across the Golden Horn. Entering service on February 15, 2014, its eventual design pays homage to the city’s maritime heritage with support towers shaped to look like horns and hull-shaped supports for the platforms..

The cruise also passed by some of the iconic bridges spanning the Bosphorus River.  The 490 meter long and 80 meter wide Galata Bridge, the fifth on the site, is a bascule bridge completed in December 1994. At the underside of the bridge are a string of restaurants.  The 1,560 meter long and 33.4 meter wide Bosphorus Bridge (officially known as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge), the oldest and southernmost of the three suspension bridges spanning the strait, was completed in 1973.  Underneath it is the Ortakoy Mosque.

The Golden Horn Metro Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge carrying the M2 line of the Istanbul Metro across the Golden Horn, connects Karaköy and Küçükpazarı on the European side of Istanbul. The bridge enables a direct connection between Hacıosman metro station in the Sarıyer district (at the northern end of the M2 line), and the Yenikapı transport hub in the Fatih district (at the southern end of the M2 line.).

Ortakoy Mosque with the Bosphorus Bridge behind it. The mosque was designed in a mixed or eclectic style incorporating contemporary European Revivalist trends such as Neoclassical, along with some details and overall design elements drawn from the earlier Ottoman Baroque style.

Completed around 1854 or 1856, it was designed by the father-and–son team of Garabet and Nikogos Bayan (who also designed the aforementioned nearby Dolmabahce Palace).  It is distinguished from other mosques of the period by its particularly ornate stone-carved decoration.

Besktas Anatolian High School, located on the European side of Istanbul, is one of the best schools in Turkey. Built for Abdulaziz in 1871, the building was an addition to the Çırağan Palace and later used as a harem room.

Another of the best known sights of Istanbul is the Suleymaniye Mosque, a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture and the largest Ottoman-era mosque in the city.  From its location on the Third Hill, it commands an extensive view of the city around the Golden Horn.

The iconic Blue Mosque and its six minarets. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1985 under the name of “Historic Areas of Istanbul,” it was constructed between 1609 and 1617 during the rule of Ahmed I and remains a functioning mosque today.

The iconic Blue Mosque, another popular monument of Ottoman architecture built between 1609 and 1617, is the second mosque in the world, after Mecca, with six minarets.

Suleymaniye Mosque, commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–1566), was designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan. One of the best-known sights of Istanbul, from its location on the Third Hill, it commands an extensive view of the city around the Golden Horn. Considered a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture, it is one of Mimar Sinan’s greatest works and is the largest Ottoman-era mosque in the city.

Many schools, colleges and universities are also located along the banks of the Bosphorus Strait. They include the Kabatas Boys’ High School (one of the oldest and most prominent high schools in Turkey), Galatasaray University (widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and notable universities in Turkey), Besiktas Anatolian High School (one of the best schools in Turkey), and Kuleli Military High School (the oldest military high school in Turkey).

Kabatas Boys’ High School. one of the oldest and most prominent high schools in Turkey, was established in 1908 by the Ottoman sultan Abdulhamid II.

T.C. Galatasaray University, built in 1871, during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, was designed by Ottoman Armenian architect Sarkis Balyan. The building was used as a dormitory for the female students of the Galatasaray High School until 1992, when it was inaugurated as the Galatasaray University.

Normally, guests also experience a taste of the city by sampling a traditional and authentic Turkish and Ottoman cuisine at an elegant restaurant (depending on the time you choose, you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner but, in our case, we had dinner) but this wasn’t available so, instead, we had our dinner of a Turkish crepe (washed down with soda) on board our coach. After finishing our dinner, we were driven back to Istanbul International Airport.

Kuleli Military High School, the oldest military high school in Turkey, is located in Çengelköy, on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus strait. It was founded on September 21, 1845, by Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I.

NEWS FLASH:

There’s a new but somewhat different player in the travel and tour industry – Toujours Travel and Tours.  Aside from providing clients the usual the usual travel requirements offered by other tour agencies, it also wants to make travel available to all and that includes travelers with special requirements – the sick and those facing physical challenges or having restricted mobility but still want to travel.   Its founder, Ms. Abigail Mae Fuentes Selma  personally knows this all too well having undergone open-heart surgery, which made traveling more challenging. Check it out here,

Touristanbul: E-mail: touristanbul@thy.com. Website: www.touristanbul.com

Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Bacoor City, Cavite)

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Church of St. Michael the Archangel

The original church, in one of the oldest parishes in Cavite (established as a separate parish, from Kawit, on January 18, 1752), was made from wood, stone, bamboo and nipa in 1669 and used to face Bacoor Bay.

The church’s Baroque facade

In October 1762, due to its strategic location, the church and convent was destroyed by the British on their way to occupy Cavite Puerto (now Cavite City).  In 1774, it was rebuilt in stone and, from 1788 to 1820, Fr. Domingo Sevilla Pilapil rebuilt the church in stone and mortar, adding the retablo, bell tower and patio.

Plaza Gomes

After the June 3, 1863 Manila earthquake, the church was reoriented inland (to prevent entry of sea water during high tides),  rebuilt, and enlarged with adobe, from 1863 to 1870, by parish priest (from June 2, 1824 to 1872) Fr. Mariano Gomes delos Angeles (of GOMBURZA fame) and Architect Felix Rojas (who later designed the Neo-Gothic Church of Sto. Domingo in Intramuros, Manila).  In 1872, after Fr. Gomes’ execution on February 17, the administration of the church was turned over to the Augustinian Recollect Fr. Juan Gomez.

The church’s three-storey bell tower

The National Historical Commission plaque installed in 2022

On May 31, 1898, during the Philippine Revolution, revolutionaries raised the Philippine flag on the bell tower.  After the revolution, the church was returned to the secular clergy. 

Important Cultural Property Marker

The present structure is what remained of this once longest church in Cavite, which once measured 20 brazas (33.4 m.) long and 5.5 brazas (9.9 m.) wide), after a third of the church was destroyed, on June 13, 1899, during the Philippine-American War.

The church interior

The choir loft area

On December 28, 2020, the church, as well as the nearby Cuenca House, were declared as an Important Cultural Properties by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and the National Museum of the Philippines.

The main altar

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church’s Baroque façade has a segmental arch main entrance (topped by a segmental arch statued niche), flanked by coupled flat pilasters, with Doric capitals and urn-like finials, and narrow, semicircular arched windows.  The triangular pediment has a centrally located, semicircular arch niche with a statue of St. Michael the Archangel.

The three-storey bell tower, on the church’s right, has a square base with coupled flat pilasters (also topped by Doric capitals) and a segmental arch open and blind (where the “Simbahan ng Bacoor” plaque is mounted) windows.  The upper two storeys, in receding planes, are octagonal, with blind and open, semicircular arch windows.

Inside is a narrow nave, exposed roof trusses with no ceiling, a main altar and two side altars.  Along the walls are burial niches.

One of the burial niches along the walls

In 2021, a historical marker and a bust of Fr. Mariano Gomes was installed front of the church convent, built in 1843 by Fr. Gomes.

The convent on the church’s left

The Padre Mariano Gomes Marker

Church of St. Michael the Archangel: Gen. E. Evangelista St., Poblacion, 4102 Bacoor City, Cavite.Tel: (046) 436-0456, 434-5679 (office) and 434-6466 (rectory). E-mail: sanmiguelbacoor@gmail.com.  Feast of St. Michael the Archangel: May 12.

How to Get There: Bacoor City is located 24.5 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Manila and 26.5 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Trece Martires City.  The church, right in front of the city’s Hall of Justice and Justice B. Ocampo Park, is located near the City Hall.

Jeaox Breeding Farm (City of Ilagan, Isabela)

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Jeaox Breeding Farm

On our seventh day in the City of Ilagan, after breakfast in our hotel, we again boarded our coaster for the 8.9 km. (20-min.) drive to the 20-hectare Jeaox Breeding Farm, home to almost a thousand non-native cows (American Brahman, Jersey and Holstein-Friesian) which are cross-bred to adapt to the climate of the country. It has been in operation for almost three years but only started its dairy operations in July 2023.

Media team at Jeaox Breeding Farm

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by Ms. Bernadette “Bea” Bayabo, the farm’s General Manager. Jeaox Farm has two cow sheds – one for fattening American Brahman cows, which are raised for their meat, and the other for almost 200 cross-bred Holstein-Friesian cows which are bred for its milk. It produces an average of about 1,000 liters of milk per day. Currently, the farm has 70 employees, 30 of which are in dairy production.

A cow with visual ear tags

Cows here wear visual ear tags to better manage the herd, keep accurate records and make decisions for herd management. Each tag has its own number and code with information on its sex, year of birth, type of breed and health history.

The author

Most of the cows that arrive in the plant are pregnant. To increase their numbers, sexed semen (or sex-sorted semen) technology is used for artificial insemination in the farm to produce cross-bred females. It is produced using a flow cytometry and sorting process, or via another process, that selectively destroys sperm cell carrying undesirable chromosomes.

Cow Milking Parlor

The farm’s herringbone-type milking parlor facility is capable, at a time, of milking 32 cows and storing 3,000 liters of raw milk. The cows are milked twice a day (4 AM and 5 PM).

The herringbone type milking parlor, the most common design used on dairy farms with smaller herds. Here, cattle stand at a 45-degree angle, offering the milker a different access point to the udder than the parallel or tandem designs, and also allows access for different types of equipment to be used.

Cow Milking Claw Assembly

The raw milk is then transported to the cooling tank of the milk plant, within the complex.  For every 100 liters of milk that goes into the plant, 40 liters is for fresh milk, 40 liters for yoghurt and 20 liters for pastillas making.

Mr. Moo Milk Plant

At the plant, the raw milk undergoes homogenization and low-heat (75 degrees Centigrade) pasteurization. Then, it is transformed into a number of products for Mr. Moo, a 20 year old company, owned by Mr. Juan Miguel Mercado, that started in Tagaytay City.

Ms. Bernadette “Bea” Bayabo (left), Jeaox Breeding Farm General Manager

Mr. Moo, whose branding is represented by a Holstein-Friesian cow, partnered with the Ilagan-based Jeaox Breeding Farm since corn silage or burong mais, the cow’s main diet and principal energy source, is cheaper in Ilagan (Php2.15 per kilo) compared to the corn-producing provinces near Tagaytay (Php10 per kilo). Corn silage is made from the leaves, briquettes (busil) and stems of corn mixed with grass and other feeds.

High pressure homogenizers are mixing equipment used to create a uniform and consistent mixture. It works by breaking the components and evenly distributing them throughout the solution. Homogenizers were invented by Auguste Gaulin for homogenizing milk.

These highly perishable milk drinks, with eight flavors (plain, chocolate, dark choco, vanilla, strawberry, melon, buko pandan and ube), are package in small plastic bottles with a shelf life of 5 to 10 days when refrigerated.  Starting from November 2023, aside from the City of Ilagan, these products were also transported to Tagaytay.

Milk retort machine eliminates all viable microorganisms, including spores, in milk.

Pastillas being manually wrapped

They are also packaged in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers (which extends, from to 6 to 8 months up to one year, the shelf life) which are intended for the city government’s milk feeding programs (which Mr. Moo participates in with the help of the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development) for young students.

Mr. Moo Milk Drink

Currently, Mr. Moo has five franchises and six outlets, two in the Cagayan Valley Region.  One is along the Maharlika Highway in Brgy. Baligatan (across the Giant Butaka) in the City of Ilagan (inaugurated on February 1, 2024) and another is in Cauayan City (formally inaugurated on April 6, 2024). Another branch will soon to open in Tuguegarao City (Cagayan).

Mr. Moo in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers

Their products also include four variants of yoghurt (plain, ube, strawberry and mango) and four variants of pastillas (plain, buko pandan, cheese and ube). Ice cream products are still under experimentation, with four flavors in the works.

Pastillas in multi-colored wrappers

Jeaox Breeding Farm: Sitio Bating, Brgy. Namnama, City of Ilagan, 3300 Isabela.

City Tourism Office: 2/F, City Hall Bldg., 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 624-1511. E-mail: tourism@cityofilagan.gov.ph.

City of Ilagan Tourist Information and Assistance Center: Bonifacio Park, 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 324-7769.  E-mail: ilaganinfocenter@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: The City of Ilagan is located 429.3 kms. (an 8-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 1-hour drive) from Cauayan City.

Balai na Ilagan (Isabela)

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Balay na Ilagan

Balai na Ilagan (“House of Ilagan”), also known as Friendship Hall and Balai na Maguili, is located beside St. Ferdinand Parish Church and Rizal Park.  Brimming with art in every nook, it was built in 2009 and is a testament to the vibrant arts, culture, music and literature scene in the province. Here, artists can learn from workshops, hold concerts or just find solace in the peaceful surroundings.

This multi-purpose hall and former convent and town clinic, within the grounds of the diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, was set up by Stewards and Friends of Ilagan Inc. (the corporate social responsibility arm of the S.M. Lazo Group of Companies based in Malate, Manila) to give Ilagueños a communal space to nurture the artistic talents of Ilagan’s residents.

Interior

They also conduct youth development activities and livelihood training courses for the less fortunate, and ties up with institutions that promote productive skills such as TESDA to enrich the lives of the locals.

Wall-to-wall murals painted by local artists

Balai ni Ilagan promotes culture and the arts by showcasing audio-visual presentations of native and international literature, music, arts and sciences; inviting speakers for cross-cultural learning; and holding competitions related to music, as well as painting and photography contests.

Grand piano

Adorning the interiors are wall-to-wall murals, painted by local artists, of forest scenes and jungle foliage interspersed with bright flowers, wildlife, mythical creatures, waterfalls, and birds in flight.  On one side of the hall is a grand piano for aspiring musicians.  There’s also a well-preserved 18th century chapel in the compound.

Balcony

At the main entrance is an ornate, restored wooden door, from the old convent, carved with flowers and intricate details. The clean and orderly grounds are used by students, to practice plays, presentations and musical numbers.

The clean and orderly grounds used by students

The library, offering a wide range of reading materials, also displays promising artwork by students from workshops.

Balai na Ilagan: Sta. Ana cor. Rizal St., Brgy. Bagumbayan, 3300 Cityof Ilagan, Isabela.

City Tourism Office: 2/F, City Hall Bldg., 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 624-1511. E-mail: tourism@cityofilagan.gov.ph.

City of Ilagan Tourist Information and Assistance Center: Bonifacio Park, 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 324-7769.  E-mail: ilaganinfocenter@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com. 

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: The City of Ilagan is located 429.3 kms. (an 8-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 1-hour drive) from Cauayan City.

St. Ferdinand Parish Church (City of Ilagan, Isabela)

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St. Ferdinand Parish Church

The St. Ferdinand Parish Proto-Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Isabela, is located beside St. Ferdinand College and Rizal Park.  The present foundations of the present church was built, from 1696 to 1700, by Fr. Miguel Matos, O.P.,  as a mamposteria and brick church.

In 1777, the solid belfry (existing up to present) was started by Fr. Pedro de San Pedro, O.P., and finished, in 1783, by Fr. Joaquin Sancho, O.P.. In 1786, the bell of the church was forged.  On December 20, 1803, the church became the final resting place of Nueva Segovia Bishop Agustin Pedro Blaquer, OSA, who died in Ilagan on December 19, 1803 after he got sick during his visit to Cauayan. He was interred at the Epistle side of the church.

Old photo of the church probably showing the 1930 facade (St. Ferdinand Official Facebook account)

In 1829, Fr. Luis Garcia, O.P., constructed the sacristy  of ladrillo and finished in 1833. The 1866 typhoon destroyed the church dome and Fr. Pablo Almazan, O.P., demolished major portions of the church’s solid walls in order to build a bigger one.  In 1892, Fr. Isidro Martinena, O.P., established a campo santo (cemetery) in Barangay Santo Tomas, located outside of Ilagan poblacion.

Another old photo of the church, probably showing the 1960s renovation as the buttresses are now more prominent and entrance and stained glass windows have been modified. (photo: hiSTORYA)

The present façade and major parts of the church were constructed in the 1930s. It was renovated in the 1960s. The bell tower, sanctuary, sacristy, parish hall and the old campo santo are the remaining traces of the Spanish-era church.

The present Baroque facade. The buttresses  are now rounded and the stained glass windows and blind arches have also been modified.

During a recent renovation, the ladrillo details of the sanctuary, the Epistle side and Gospel side of the church were once again revealed after the cement were chipped-off.  The ladrillo fence of the campo santo could still be recognized.

AUTHOR’S NOTES

The church’s single level Baroque façade has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked by massive circular buttresses (in turn topped by urn-like finials) and semicircular blind arches (with two smaller semicircular arches within).

Above  the main entrance is a corbelled cornice with a blind semicircular arch enclosing three (one big flanked by two small) semicircular arch stained glass windows.  The triangular pediment, with broken curves along the top, has a centrally located blind rose window.

On the church’s left is the original four-storey square bell tower.  It has narrow semicircular windows, paired Solomonic columns (topped by urn-like finials) at the corners and is topped by a pyramidal roof. 

 

In 1973, the church became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan, a suffragan diocese (founded on January 31, 1979) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao. However, in 2003, the diocese was transferred to the new Cathedral Church (and Bishops’ Residence) in Barangay Upi, in Gamu, Isabela.  In 2013, the present cathedral was placed under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel. Despite the transfer, both city and diocese still remain under the patronage of St. Ferdinand III of Castile, whose feast day is celebrated on May 30. At present, the centuries-old structure is designated as a proto-cathedral by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan.

The 4-storey bell tower is all that remained of the original Spanish-era church

On October 29, 2023, a mass was held for the celebration of the first Holy Rosary Festival wherein the pilgrim image of the St. Ferdinand Parish – Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary was episcopally crowned by Most Rev. David William V. Antonio, D.D., STHD., bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan.

The April 22, 2024 fire that engulfed the church (photo: Rappler)

On April 22, 2024, Monday, at around 11:40 AM, a devastating fire started from the roof of the church while workers were installing steel trusses on the church’s ceiling,  It was extinguished after an hour but most of its interior was destroyed. The final investigation report of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) identified the total cost of the damages is estimated to be around P35-40 million which include antique religious items among others. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Ilagan City Engineering Office conducted a series of tests and studies which revealed that only around 20-30% of the structural integrity of the church remained after the fire took down most of its interior.

The burnt out interior of the church (photo: Philippine News Agency)

Just days after the fire that destroyed the proto-cathedral, the City Government of Ilagan, in coordination with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan, were able to put up a temporary altar and steel benches covered with aluminum roofing sheets and steel trusses in the church-front courtyard (often referred by locals as the Family Park). Since April 28, 2024, while the clearing and restoration of the church is still ongoing, all regular masses of the parish were temporarily being held, by parish priest Fr. Ric-Zeus Angobang (he became parish priest in August 2023), in the make-shift altar.

St. Ferdinand Parish Church: Centro Poblacion, 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 624-2467.  Mobile number: (0997) 068-9967.

City Tourism Office: 2/F, City Hall Bldg., 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 624-1511. E-mail: tourism@cityofilagan.gov.ph.

City of Ilagan Tourist Information and Assistance Center: Bonifacio Park, 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 324-7769.  E-mail: ilaganinfocenter@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: The City of Ilagan is located 429.3 kms. (an 8-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 1-hour drive) from Cauayan City.