Category Archives: Historical Sites

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (Vancouver)

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Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

Five days after our arrival in Vancouver, Grace, Jandy, Kyle and I had our first mass at the late 19th-century, 700-pax Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

Grace and Kyle making their way into the cathedral

Commonly known as Holy Rosary Cathedral, serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver. Located in the downtown area of the city, it is listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register and is a legally protected building.

The cathedral’s French Gothic Revival style facade

Designed by architects Thomas Ennor Julian and H.J. Williams in the classic cruciform form (with narthex, nave, transepts and an apsidal chancel), it was constructed under the charge of R. P. Forshaw and Company and the church was completed in just 491 days. At the time it was finished, the building was praised as “the finest piece of architecture west of Toronto and north of San Francisco.”

The right side of the cathedral

The left side of the cathedral

Here’s the historical timeline of the cathedral:

  • In June 1885, the parish was established with Father Patrick Fay, the chaplain to Canadian Pacific Railway(CPR) workers, chosen as pastor.
  • In 1886, construction began for a wooden church
  • In 1888, the wooden church was completed the following year and blessed.
  • In 1890, the church was enlarged and a bell tower was added.
  • On July 16, 1899, the cornerstone for the new church was laid by Archbishop Adélard Langevin of Saint Boniface.
  • In the autumn of 1900, the cathedral’s pipe organ was inaugurated.
  • On October 21, 1900, the church’s seven bells were blessed
  • On December 8, 1900, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the new Church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was opened and was blessed the day after by Archbishop Alexander Christie of Portland, Oregon.
  • In 1906, eight bells were reinstalled in the cathedral
  • In 1911, on Dominion Day, the church’s bells were rung, the first peal ever to be rung in Canada .
  • In 1916, the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral.
  • In February 1922, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for beloved local lifeguard and swim instructor Joe Fortes. The cathedral filled to capacity, with thousands of others braving the rain and cold weather to view the funeral procession on the streets of Vancouver.
  • In 1927, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), which administered the parish since 1893, left after difficulties arose from the mortgage agreement that had helped pay for the construction of the cathedral. This was coupled with the “growing manpower shortage” caused by a declining number of members joining the order.
  • In late 1932, the “tin scales” that covered spire of the taller steeple were cleaned and repaired, and the cross atop of it was repainted.
  • In 1936, it hosted an archdiocesan-level Eucharistic Congress, the first congress ever to be celebrated in Western Canada.
  • In 1939, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for Pope Pius XI.
  • On October 7, 1952, the feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, a gunman entered the church and fired a round from his rifle at the altar. No one was hurt and he was arrested shortly after.
  • In April 1959, a minor tilt in the bell tower of the cathedral was detected probably due to the drilling and blasting of a nearby tunnel.
  • On October 3, 1953, the rite of consecration as a cathedral, officiated by the Archbishop of Vancouver William M. Duke, was held.  The subsequent solemn pontifical Mass was celebrated by Michael Harrington, the Bishop of Kamloops. Approximately 35 bishops from across Canada and the United States attended the event, which coincided with Duke’s golden and silver jubilees of his priestly ordination and consecration as a bishop, respectively.
  • In 1961, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for former Vancouver police commissioner William Cameron Murphy.
  • In the 1960s, after the Second Vatican Council, the reordering of the sanctuary took place.
  • In 1967, an interfaith requiem was held at the cathedral for former Governor General of Canada Georges Vanier.
  • In September 1981, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for internationally-acclaimed actor Chief Dan George of the Tsleil-Waututh
  • On September 19, 1984, Pope John Paul II visited the church as part of his pastoral visit to Canada. Refurbishing took place prior to his visit.
  • From 1995 to 1997, the cathedral was completely re-roofed, with zinc being utilized on the roof to resemble slate.
  • In 1999, the organ was dismantled and transported to Casavant Frères in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec for a two-year restoration.
  • In Easter of 2000, the rehabilitated pipe organ was blessed. That same year, an organ concert series was hosted at the cathedral for the first time.
  • In late September 2001, the cathedral became the first place in Canada to host the relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux during her reliquary’s three-month-long tour of the country.
  • In December 2002, some of the carpeting was removed and replaced with Italian ceramic tiles.
  • From 2004 to 2006, the inside of the church was repainted.
  • On April 1, 2005, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for Pope John Paul II.
  • On March 23, 2008, during an Easter Sunday Mass at the cathedral, First Nations protesters disrupted the mass by demonstrating on the outside steps. They ordered the Church to “get off native land” and demanded that they disclose the burial locations of children who died in residential schools.
  • On February 12, 2010, the cathedral’s bells were rung during the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
  • On October 30, 2011, a splinter group from the Occupy Vancouver movement marched to the cathedral from the Vancouver Art Gallery, attempting to enter the cathedral and occupy it but were thwarted by Vancouver police officers and Knights of Columbus.
  • In the spring of 2017, the copy of the bronze sculpture Homeless Jesus by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz was installed in front of the cathedral.
  • In 2018, new light fixtures, pews and an upgraded sound system were added.
  • On March 22, 2020, as a result of the Archdiocese suspending all public masses starting from March 21 onwards, in response to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, Sunday Mass was celebrated without a congregation for the first time in the cathedral’s history.
  • In June 2020, public masses at the cathedral resumed with capacity reduced to 50 people per Mass in order to adhere to the physical distancing requirements set out by the provincial health authorities.

The 49 m. (161 ft.) long, 32 m. (104 ft.) wide (across the transepts) and 19 m. (62 ft.) high (from floor to ceiling) cathedral, built in the French Gothic revival style, has been described as resembling the medieval Chartres Cathedral in France. Cruciform, in the shape of the Latin cross, it is 19 m. (62 ft.) across the nave and the aisles.

The taller bell tower

Its foundations were made of granite while its exterior walls were built from sandstone originating from Gabriola Island.  The cathedral’s “most prominent visual feature” is its two asymmetric bell towers. The taller, 66 m.  (217 ft.) high steeple was originally designed to have flying buttresses at the bottom.

The cathedral interior looking towards the main altar

The cathedral interior looking towards the choir loft

The nave arcades at the interior which, in turn support a Gothic tunnel vault, are supported by Norman columns made from highly polished, red Scagliola marble. Non-structural ribs decorate the vault, with simple molding accenting the intermediate ribs.

Left side aisle

Right side aisle

The cathedra, situated at the center of the sanctuary, is surrounded by a Gothic-style, oak altar-piece, with richly detailed gold foliage and angels set in relief, and two towers of reredos decked with delicately carved angels carrying torches, thuribles and sacred books.

Left transept

Right transept

 

The cathedral originally had seven bells (representing the sacraments) cast at the Fonderie Paccard in Annecy-le-Vieux, Savoy, France. However, when they were found to be out of tune, they were sent to a foundry near Bristol where eight bells were made to complete an entire octave when rung.

Baptismal Font

 

Two of the14 Stations of the Cross

Statue of the Pieta

Operating on change ringing, they are one of the few peal of bells hung in the English style found in North America, and one of three in British Columbia (the others are located at Westminster Abbey in Mission and Victoria‘s Christ Church Cathedral).

Grace and Kyle

The cathedral’s pipe organ, manufactured by the Karn–Warren Organ Company in Woodstock, Ontario, is the “oldest romantic-style organ” in the province “remaining in its original location.” An organ concert is held at the cathedral annually since 2000.  One of the most beautiful organs in the West Coast, it has three manuals, 4 divisions, 42 stops, 51 ranks and 2,899 pipes.

The cathedral’s pipe organ

Of the current 21 stained glass windows (documented by the Institute for Stained Glass in Canada) at the cathedral, the oldest is The Church Triumphant with the Risen Christ among Saints and Martyrs, on the east wall of the sanctuary, next to the shrine of the Blessed Virgin.

Stained glass depicting The Church Triumphant with the Risen Christ among Saints and Martyrs

The most renowned ones are the five windows made by Canadian artist Guido Nincheri whose work can be found in over 60 churches in North America.

Stained glass depicting Jesus with the Children (Guido Nincheri)

They depict Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, on the north side of the west transept; the Baptism of Our Lord (completed in January 1954), Jesus Healing the Sick, Jesus with the Children and the Assumption (completed and shipped out of the Nincheri studios in November 1953 and installed later that year). Started in 1941, it would take 13 years for the work on the stained glass to be completed.

Stained glass depicting The Assumption (Guido Nincheri)

The stained glass depicting Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was featured on Canada Post‘s annual Christmas stamp in 1997.

Stained glass depicting Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (Guido Nincheri)

In front of the cathedral is a copy of the bronze sculpture Homeless Jesus by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. Showing a life-size statue of a man with a long overcoat lying on a park bench, his face is hidden underneath a hood and his bare feet with stigmata.

The author beside the copy of the bronze sculpture of the Homeless Jesus by Candian artist Timothy Schmalz

According to Stanley Galvon (the rector at the time), the statue is intended to be “a catalyst to make people think about” the city’s homelessness crisis.

Jandy

Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary: 646 Richards cor. Dunsmuir St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 3A3.  Tel: (604) 682-6774. Fax: (604) 331-8406.  E-mail: office@vancouvercathedral.org. Website: www.holyrosarycathedral.org. Sunday mass schedule: 8 AM, 9:30 AM, 11 AM, 12:30 PM, 5 PM.

How to Get There: by Metro, take the Expo Line to Granville Station or the Canada Line to Waterfront Station.  Both are a 5 minute walk away.

Bonifacio Trial Museum Revisited (Maragondon, Cavite)

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Bonifacio Trial Museum

Part Two of “Drive, Dine and Discover” Cavite Caravan

After our visit to the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady in Maragondon, we were next driven about 500 m. to the nearby Bonifacio Trial Museum.

The author

This would not be my first viist to the museum, having visited it during my 2017 visita iglesia of Cavite.  However, since it was a holiday, the museum was closed.  This would be my first time to explore its exhibits.

Check out “VIsita Iglesia 2017,”  “Bonifacio Trial Museum (2017)” and “Church of the Assumption of Our Lady”

Historical plaque installed by National Historical Institute (NHI) in 2000.  The name “Teodorico” should be “Roderico”

This two-storey bahay-na-bato (stone house), formerly known as the Roderico Reyes House, was built in 1889 by Roderico Reyes (not Teodorico as stated in NHI plaque by the front door) who was married to Juana Viray. From May 5 to 6, 1897, it was the site where revolutionary leader and Katipunan Supremo Andres Bonifacio and his brother  Procopio Bonifacio were court martialed by a military court, presided by Gen. Mariano Noriel, and found guilty of treason and recommended execution.

Gen. Riego de Dios and Col. Crisostomo Riel, both natives of Maragondon, refused to sign the final court judgment.  Reyes was absent during the trial as he was in his mountain retreat.

Grand staircase

This stone, brick and wood ancestral house now belongs to Mr. Jose Angeles (it was sold to him by Reyes descendants in 1994) who generously signed an agreement with the NHI to turn it into a museum open to the public. It was designated, on June 4, 1997, as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute and, in 1999, it was fully restored and declared as a National Heritage Site.

Stair foyer

On November 28, 2014, it was formally inaugurated as a museum and shrine called the Museo ng Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio or Bonifacio Trial Museum, administered and managed (the third in Cavite) by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (formerly the National Historical Institute).

Gallery 1 (Maypagasa)

The 80 sq. m. museum has five galleries.  Gallery 1 (Maypagasa) provides a short background on Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan.

Gallery 2 (Pagsalubong)

Gallery 2 (Pagsalubong) focuses on the conflict between the two Katipunan factions in Cavite, the Magdalo and Magdiwang.

Gallery 3 (Pagdakip)

Gallery 3 (Pagdakip) narrates the events leading to Bonifacio’s arrest, by Col. Agapito Bonzon and Maj. Jose Ignacio “Intsik” Paua, in Barrio Limbon in Indang. Bonifacio was wounded when he shot in the arm by Bonzon and stabbed in the neck by Paua.  Andres’ brother Ciriaco was shot dead.

Gallery 4 (Ang Paglilitis)

Gallery 4 (Ang Paglilitis), at the living room (sala de visita), re-enacts the Bonifacio brothers’ court martial through a light and sound presentation.  The audio recording of the interactive diorama, with dimmed lights adding to the gloomy atmosphere, recounts the trial proceedings.

Statues of members of the military court

Life-size, polyester resin  3D figures represent members in this tragic event – Gen. Mariano Noriel, Col. Crisostomo Riel, Col. Tomas Mascardo, Col. Esteban Ynfante, Col. Mariano Riego de Dios, Sulpicio Antony, Placido Martinez (Bonifacio’s attorney), Procopio Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus and Andres Bonifacio  (seated in a Vienna-style love chair).

Statue of Gregoria de Jesus (right) with seated Andres Bonifacio

Gallery 5 (Kadakilaan) recounts the anguish of Bonifacio’s widow, Gregoria de Jesus, upon learning of her husband’s death. It has a replica of a statue of Gregoria de Jesus sculpted by Julie Lluch.

Replica of a statue of Gregoria de Jesus sculpted by Julie Lluch at Gallery 5 (Kadakilaan)

This modernized museum contains various interactive displays on events that led to the trial and execution of Bonifacio and the special bond he shared with his young wife Gregoria de Jesus.  An electronic map shows the 12 Cavite towns under the Magdiwang, while 10, including the town of Bagumbayan (now Laurel) and Talisay in Batangas province, belong to the Magdalo .  It also has an audio-visual corner offering a brief documentary about the trial and death of Andres Bonifacio and an e-learning room for online lessons on the history of the Philippines.

Participants of the Cavite Caravan

At the museum foyer is a replica of bust of Andres Bonifacio sculpted by Julie Lluch in 2014.  Past the staircase is a wall lined with artworks on the 10 commandments of  the Katipunan painted by Robert Alejandro.

Ten Commandments of the Katipunan (Robert Alejandro)

Bonifacio Trial Museum: Col. Crisostomo Riel St., Brgy. Poblacion 1-A, Maragondon 4122, Cavite. Mobile number: (0969) 516-6992 and (0917) 553-7375.   Museum curator: Mr. Melanio Guevarra. E-mail: mpab@nhcp.gov.ph and bonifaciotrialmuseum@gmail.com. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8 AM – 4 PM. Admission is free.

Maragondon Municipal Tourism Office: G/F, Municipal Bldg., Brgy. Poblacion 1-A, Maragondon, 4112 Cavite.  Tel: (046) 686-3139. Mobile number: (0926) 237-6537.

Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP): AAP Tower, 683 Aurora Blvd., Quezon City 1112. Tel: (632) 8723-0808 and (632) 8705-3333. Website: www.aap.org.ph. E-mail:  info@aap.org.ph.

AAP Lakbay, Inc.: G/F, Sea Tower Bldg., 332 Roxas Blvd. cor. Arnaiz St., Pasay City.  Tel: (32) 8551-0025 and (632) 8403-543.  E-mail: aaplakbay.caravan@gmail.com.  Coordinates:
14.5456531, 120.9914728.

Old Senate Session Hall (National Museum of Fine Arts, Manila)

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Old Senate Session Hall

The historic Old Senate Session Hall, considered the core of the then Legislative Building (now the National Museum of Fine Arts), was home to members of the Philippine Senate from 1926 to 1996.  It had been a silent witness to history as senators, from various eras, debated and charted the future of the Philippines, from the country’s growing clamor for full independence from the United States in the 1930s to its rejection of a new US bases treaty in 1992. Directly below the Senate Session Hall is another hall once used by members of Congress. It has since been converted to a gallery displaying Juan Luna’s “Spoliarium.”

Check out “Old Legislative Building,” “National Museum of Fine Arts” and “Spoliarium Hall”

Ceiling and entablature with garlands and relief sculptures

The old Senate Session Hall was designed by American architect Ralph Harrington Doane (part of the team of architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham and a consultant to the Bureau of Public Works, a precursor of the Department of Public Works and Highways) as a high-ceiling reading room. Heavily damaged during the American liberation of Manila in 1945, the Legislative Building was in near ruins but, for some reason, the Session Hall remained intact, with only its intricately carved hardwood ceiling blown off.

Plaque installed by National Historical Institute

When the newly independent postwar government worked on rebuilding the structure, it was able to restore much of the Session Hall to its original state.

Bust of Manuel L. Quezon

Here, then Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and his allies in the opposition delivered privilege speeches during the run-up to martial law in 1972.  When martial law was declared, it was closed and later turned into one of the National Museum’s galleries during the remainder of the Marcos years. During the Marcos era, the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City housed the parliament.

When democracy was restored after the People Power Revolution in 1986, the Senate and Congress returned to their old homes in the Legislative Building. In 1996, after the Senate moved to its new home at the GSIS Building in Pasay City, the old Session Hall was closed again.

In April 2010, work on the Session Hall’s (Php20 million) two-year restoration started, with funding coming from 2011 National Museum endowment fund (Php6 million) of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), and Php14 million from the museum’s 2012 budget. They also tapped the expertise of the museum’s four heritage architects led by Evelyn Esguerra.

During the in-house restoration project, the National Museum’s Jeremy Barns (director) and Ana Labrador (assistant director) pored over old pictures in their attempt to produce a newly restored Session Hall that’s as close as possible to the original. Its prewar look became the peg of the restoration work. Barns and Labrador chose the 1930s, because it was during this period that the country’s independence movement started to intensify.

Relief Sculptures by Isabelo Tampinco

However, in the absence of detailed pictures of the original, they left the venue’s less ornate postwar ceiling intact. Workers searched in vain for murals (painted by architect Juan M. Arellano), between the overhead concrete fretwork, that might be hidden underneath layers of old paint. In the end, the pair decided to simply give both the ceiling and spaces between the statues a fresh coat of the standard, rich color paint for nearly all public buildings during the Philippine Commonwealth period paint (which Barns described as a “Bureau of Public Works cream”).

Relief sculptures by Isabelo Tampinco

The already structurally unsound wooden parquet flooring on the first level, not part of the Session Hall’s original design, was also removed.  In keeping with the Session Hall’s original look, they decided to go for vibrant red floors (sealed with epoxy) and baseboards. A series of damaged concrete balustrades that bore the weight of a wooden floor that bisected the 15 m. high Session Hall was replaced with faithful reproductions crafted by House of Precast.  The team also replaced the venue’s lighting system and had a more modern, energy-efficient air-con system installed.

Filipino Struggles Through History by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco

Windows that were permanently locked from the outside (because of a concrete barrier) were replaced and opened up. Workers also had to fashion, upon Barns’ instructions, a French-type window that leads to an outdoor veranda. On October 29, 2012, during a celebration of the museum’s 111th anniversary, the refurbished hall was opened.

Filipino Struggles Through History by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco

Currently a venue for events that are of national importance, the Old Senate Session Hall features modern and contemporary Philippine art from the 20th to the 21st centuries. All the ornamentation and decoration in this Hall were done by leading Filipino prewar sculptor Isabelo Tampinco who created these figures with the help of his sons, Angel and Vidal, who inherited their father’s artistry and skills.

Filipino Struggles Through History by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco

These exceptional, restored masterpieces make up an entablature of garlands and Filipinized, classical relief sculptures of great lawmakers, moralists, philosophers and various historical figures in history, from Biblical times to the 20th century, such as Apolinario Mabini, Pope Leo XIII, Woodrow Wilson, Moses, Hammurabi, Ramses the Great, and Charlemagne.

Filipino Struggles Through History by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco

This hall also features seven of the ten panels of “Filipino Struggles Through History” (also known as “History of Manila”), the monumental series of paintings by National Artist Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco (1912-1969) commissioned in 1968 for the Manila City Hall by Mayor  Antonio J. Villegas.  The last three panels, depicting Mayor Antonio J. Villegas‘ vision for the city of Manila, are exhibited at Gallery XIII, within the same museum’s Vicente and Carmen Fabella Hall.

Check out “Gallery XIII”

Commemorative plaque of the “Filipino Struggles Through History,” by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco, being declared as a National Cultural Treasure

The artwork was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by then National Museum director Gabriel S. Casal on April 8, 1996. They collectively measure 2.7 m. (8.9 ft.) high and 79.4 m. (260 ft.) wide.

National Museum of Fine Arts: Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

Morong Park (Rizal)

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Morong Plaza

Morong Park, formerly known as Morong Town Plaza, just in front of Morong’s old Municipal Building (Morong Commandancia), was converted into a park in 2010.

Within the park are statues of Jose Rizal, Tomas Claudio and Rafael Pacheco’s (the world renowned Father of Palm and Finger Painting, 1933 – 2016) “Ang Pamilyang Magsasaka” sculpture.

Statue of Tomas Claudio

National Historical Institute plaque installed in 1992

Private Tomas Mateo Claudio, who served with the U.S. Marine Corps as part of the American Expeditionary Forces to Europe, was the first Filipino to die in World War I when he was slain during the Battle of Château Thierry in France on June 29, 1918. In 1921, the Tomas Claudio Memorial School was established as a tribute to him.

Old municipal hall

The Old Municipal Hall once housed the Commandancia del Distrito Politico-Militar de Morong (created in 1853), the seat of government during the Spanish Era. It was originally made of adobe stones and hardwood, with galvanized iron sheets for roofing.

Morong Historical Marker installed by the National Historical Commission in 1971

Class 1945 Morong High School plaque

During the early American Period, it was converted into a public elementary school building (the Old Central).    During World War II, it was damaged but was rebuilt, with alterations and, on August 16, 1944, was converted into a high school (Morong High School).  The first batch of 33 students graduated here on November 24, 1945.

Statue of Jose Rizal

In the 1960s, the building was torn down and rebuilt using reinforced concrete and was used as the municipal hall for the local government of Morong until 2011, when the local government offices were transferred to the new municipal building in a different location. Today, its second floor houses the Museong Pambayan ng Morong which was formalized in 2015 via an ordinance.

Ang Pamilyang Magsasaka (Rafael Pacheco)

Morong Park: Brgy. San Pedro, Morong, Rizal.

Old Legislative Building (Manila)

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The monumental Old Legislative Building (also the Old Congress Building), now the home of the National Museum of Fine Arts (operated by the National Museum of the Philippines since 1996), was formerly the home of the bicameral congress from 1926 to 1972, and the Philippine Senate from 1987 to 1997. The building was originally designed by Ralph Harrington Doane (Consulting Architect of the Bureau of Public Works, precursor of the Department of Public Works and Highways). Doane, with the assistance of Antonio Mañalac Toledo, originally designed the building as the future home of the National Library of the Philippines, according to the plan of Manila of Daniel H. Burnham.

Check out “National Museum of Fine Arts”

Old Legislative Building – West Facade

Began in 1918, it was built under the supervision of the architecture firm of Pedro Siochi and Company but construction was delayed due to lack of funds. In 1926, the Philippine Legislature (established on October 16, 1916) decided to move into the Library building and changes to the building’s layout were done accordingly by architect Juan M. Arellano who added the fourth floor and the chambers for legislators, changed the central façade and incorporated the ornamentation and sculptural work.

The Neo-Classical facade

On July 16, 1926, the building was inaugurated with the formal opening of the Second Regular Session of the 7th Philippine Legislature  in the presence of Governor-General Leonard Wood, then Senate President Manuel L. Quezon, House Speaker Manuel Roxas, and Colonel Carmi A. Thompson (envoy of United States President Calvin Coolidge). From 1928 to 1944, it was concurrently the headquarters of the National Library.

In 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was proclaimed and the inauguration of President Manuel L. Quezon was held outside the building which became the home of the National Assembly of the Philippines (it was subsequently known as the National Assembly Building). In 1940, a bicameral Congress of the Philippines, consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives, replaced the National Assembly, with the Senate occupying the upper floors and the House occupying the lower floors. The building would serve as home of the Commonwealth Congress until 1945.

East facade

In February 1945, during World War II, Japanese forces used the building and its premises as their stronghold, modifying it with defensive installations. Surrounding the building were obstacles, roadblocks, trenches, pillboxes and barbed wire and guns and other heavy machine guns were strategically installed on the building floors. For several days until February 27, the American forces bombarded the building with artillery fire and the building’s north and south wings were heavily damaged. Most of the structure was beyond repair, except for the still-standing central portion.

Pediment at east facade

In 1946, with the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines, the building was rebuilt, mostly from memory and with the aid of a few remaining blueprints, by the U.S. Philippine War Damage Corporation who maintained its original building four-storey height, footprint and dimensions but with less ornate interior and exterior ornamentation. Reconstruction began in 1949 and, that same year, the Congress moved back in. In 1950, the two wings of the building were completed.

Historical plaque (Old Legislative Building) installed by the National Historical Commission in 2010

The building, now known as the Congress Building, continuously served as home of the Congress of the Philippines until 1972 when the Congress was effectively dissolved and the building was padlocked with the declaration of martial law. For a short time, the fourth floor of the building became home of the offices of the Prime Minister of the Philippines (a position established under the 1973 Constitution of the Philippines).  Offices of various government branches were also housed here, with the Ombudsman occupying the third floor, the National Museum on the second floor, and the Sandiganbayan on the ground floor. For the duration of that time, the building was called the Executive House.

Historical plaque (Pambansang Museo) installed by the National Historical Institute in 2001

With the ratification of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines was reestablished with the Senate using the original Congress Building for their plenary sessions until May 1997 (when it moved to the Government Service Insurance System Building on reclaimed land on Manila Bay in Pasay)) and the House of Representatives moving to the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Constitution Hill, Quezon City.   The former office of the Prime Minister was taken as the Office of the Vice-President.

Bronze statue of Sergio Osmena, sitting on a marble pedestal created by Federico S. Ilustre, was created by Guillermo Tolentino and cast by Fonderia Berdicando Marinelle in Italy.  It was unveiled in 1966.  In 2019, this statue was declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines.

In 1998, the building was then turned over to the National Museum of the Philippines. On September 30, 2010, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) declared the building as a “National Historical Landmark” by virtue of Resolution No. 8 (dated September 30, 2010). A marker commemorating the declaration was unveiled on October 29, 2010.

Bronze statue of Manuel L. Quezon, sitting on a marble pedestal created by Federico S. Ilustre, was created by Guillermo Tolentino and cast by Fonderia Berdicando Marinelle in Italy.  It was unveiled in 1965. In 2019, this statue was declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines.

On October 29, 2012, the restored old Senate Session Hall was inaugurated after a two-year restoration project aimed to bring back its pre-war architectural glory that is intended to be part of the learning tours of museum visitors. On July 16, 2019, the NHCP unveiled the Philippine Flag Hoisting marker to honor the site’s historic value. In view of this, the Philippine Flag is to be permanently hoisted and lighted at night at the National Museum of Fine Arts.

The author at the Old Legislative Building

The four-storey building has a rectangular plan with a layout oriented with its line of symmetry in an east-west axis, longitude in a north-south axis, and its main entrances on the east and the west. Courtyards at the north and south flank the building’s central core spaces. Organized around these courtyards are the associated rooms, with single volume hallways east and west, and double volume hallways north and south. Staircases are located at both ends of the entrance halls and the four corners of the building.

The columned portico, at the second floor, signals the west entrance which is accessed via a flight of stairs and the carriageway ramp coming from ground level along Padre Burgos Street. The west portico has four Corinthian columns that rise the full height of the building.

Entrance lobby

The Neo-Classical  façade is articulated with giant Corinthian columns and pilasters rising from the second floor level to the height of the two storeys of the building, with the first storey resembling the one-storey high plinth where these columns and pilasters rest.

Bronze statue of President Manuel A. Roxas, created by Guillermo Tolentino, was cast by Fonderia Berdicando Marinelle in Italy.  Commissioned by Gerardo M. Roxas in 1968, it was unveiled in the lobby on April 15, 2016.

The columns and pilasters surrounding the entire wall are topped by decorative entablatures.  The projecting central bay, featuring a group of four columns, has corbelled balconies on the third level. Another group of four columns, with similar Corinthian capitals, are also featured at the corner bays.

Fenestrations consist of rectangular windows decorated with grillwork.  Except for the west central bay with the columned portico, both the east and west façades are identical. Identical east and west pediments, with relief sculptures, surmount the central part of the building. Relief sculptures on the tympanum of the pediment, depicting “Inang Bayan” surrounded by Greek deities, emphasizes grandeur and nationalism and ennobles the edifice. From the west and south of the building, respectively, you can enjoy a splendid view of Intramuros and Rizal Park.

Statue of Diwata , a sculpture of a winged fairy done in reinforced concrete by Guillermo Tolentino, welcomes visitors tot the museum.

An arched porte-cochere, protecting the east entrance at the ground level, is approached via the east driveway from the present east open space (formerly a southward radial road with Agrifina Circle as its terminus).

Old Legislative Building: Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

El Deposito Underground Reservoir (San Juan City, Metro Manila)

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El Deposito

The cavernous El Deposito, one of the oldest underground reservoirs in the world and the country’s largest Spanish era artifact, was built as part of the Carriedo Waterworks (named after Francisco Carriedo y Perejo, a Spanish  Capitán General who bequeathed a grant to the city of Manila in 1733) which was built from 1878 to 1882 (additional works were done until 1884) under the supervision of Spanish engineer and architect Genaro Palacios (who later designed the all-steel San Sebastian Church).  He decided to use the Marikina River as the El Deposito‘s water source.

The above ground entrance to El Deposito

Made of volcanic tuff, this old underground water reservoir, with had a capacity of 15 million gallons, provided the residents of Manila and its surrounding areas with an adequate water supply. The underground reservoir held military strategic importance and, during the Philippine Revolution, the Katipunan attempted to seize the reservoir from Spanish colonial authorities in the Battle of San Juan del Monte (or Pinaglabanan) on August 26, 1896.   During the Philippine-American War, it was held by Filipinos.

During the American colonial administration, it was used as an armory by the Americans and, during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II, by the Imperial Japanese forces. It was also used as a pulmonary hospital (specifically for tuberculosis patients) and as a firing range. In 1945, El Deposito was recaptured by the Allied forces but, after the war and the Philippine independence from the United States, fell to disuse, becoming a temporary garbage dumping ground and home for informal settlers.

On August 30, 1972, in recognition of the old reservoir as a cultural property, a marker was installed by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. In 1973, in commemoration of the first battle of the Philippine Revolution, the land along El Deposito was converted into a recreational park named the Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine and Park.

Check out “Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine”

In 2016, efforts to rehabilitate the underground reservoir began when the University of the Philippines Archaeological Studies program conducted an assessment and excavation of the structure. In 2018, as a preparation for the development of the site as a tourist destination, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines conducted cleaning of the El Deposito‘s tunnel.  It was planned to be open to the public on March 2020 but the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic put this plan on hold.  It was finally opened on August 30, 2021.

When it was still in use as a water supply storage, the El Deposito had a capacity of 56,000 cu. m. (2,000,000 cu. ft.) for 300,000 people (at that time Manila only had a population of 285, 454) and, to keep water fresh and free from contamination, ventilation shafts were also utilized.

Jandy at the viewing platfor

As part of the larger Carriedo waterworks system, the reservoir sourced its water from the Marikina River which was pumped out via 5 kms. (3.1 mi.) of cast iron pipes which passed through the Santolan area.  It also supplied water to hydrants, drinking fountains and fountains in Intramuros and suburbs.

The author at El Deposito

The structure of the water reservoir, situated below an elevated hill, consists of a vast central canal that is connected to 25 smaller canals which each measured 5 m.(16 ft.) high and 3 m. (9.8 ft.) wide.  Military and civilian artifacts excavated during the restoration of El Deposito are displayed in Museo El Deposito.

Check out “Museo El Deposito”

El Deposito: Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine, Pinaglabanan Street, San Juan City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Tel: (632) 753-5439. E-mail: museoeldepositogmail.com.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 8 AM to 4 PM.  Admission is free.

How to Get There: Jeepneys, at Camp Crame, have routes that pass by the Pinaglabanan Shrine.  RRCG buses that ply the Ortigas Avenue-Sta. Mesa route also pass by the Pinaglabanan Shrine.  By car, take the Bonny Serrano Avenue westbound, beside Camp Crame, until you reach Pinaglabanan Shrine.  From Ortigas Avenue westbound, turn left at Bonny Serrano Avenue and go straight until you reach Pinanglabanan Shrine on the right.

Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine (San Juan City, Metro Manila)

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Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine

The 5-hectare (12-acre), historically significant Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine (Filipino: Pang-alaalang Dambana ng Pinaglabanan), a Filipino national shrine and park and war memorial, was built to commemorate the 1896 Battle of Pinaglabanan (translated as “battlefield”), the first major battle of the Philippine Revolution between Filipino revolutionaries and forces of the Spanish Empire, and the heroism of the Katipuneros who laid siege to Polvorín de Almacen, an armory belonging to the Spanish Colonial Government.

The author posing beside the “Eternal Flame” with the “Spirit of Pinaglabanan” in the background

On August 29, 1896, 800 Katipuneros marched towards the Spanish powder magazine or polvorin (known then as Almacen de Polvora) in San Juan del Monte which protected Manila’s water supply.  The first group, led by Katipunan Supremo Andrés Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto, came from Mandaluyong.  The second group, led by Sancho Valenzuela, came from Santa Mesa.  Their strategy was to capture the reservoir and dry up the water supply to Manila.

Just before daylight, they rashly assaulted the forward sentry lines and besieged the Spanish garrison manned by 100 trained artillerists and infantrymen, well armed with the latest model Remingtons and Mauser breech-loading rifles.  Bonifacio and his men fought with bolos, bamboo lances, short-range hunting shotguns and several pistols.  The Spanish commander was killed and the rest of the garrison withdrew to El Deposito (the old Manila water reservoir).  A stalemate ensued.

The following morning, they besieged El Deposito.  The arrival of Gen. Bernardo Echaluce’s Regiment 73 turned the tide against the rebels.  The Katipuneros, who regrouped in Santa Mesa, courageously engaged the arriving Spanish troops, but armed only with wooden lances, bolos and handmade guns, were easily outfought and forced to retreat. They suffered heavy losses with 153 patriots killed and 200 others, including Sancho Valenzuela, captured.

The “Spirit of Pinaglabanan” of Eduardo Castrillo

The centerpiece of the sprawling memorial shrine, built in 1973, is the Spirit of Pinaglabanan, a sculpture by the late, renowned Filipino sculptor Eduardo Castrillo (also known for the People Power Monument) that features three elongated cut and welded brass figures of a woman supported by two children, holding up a bolo, atop a semicircular, 10 x 4.3 x 4.3 meter molded concrete base.

Walls inscribed with the names of possible Katipuneros based on primary sources and published studies

Flanking the statue are walls inscribed with the names of possible Katipuneros based on primary sources and published studies. In front is a monument with an “Eternal Flame” signifying the Filipinos’ adherence to the principles of liberty.

This statue, portraying the heroism of the Katipuneros who fought and died in this battlefield, is interwoven with San Juan’s identity and is depicted on the city’s official seal. On August 1, 1973, the Pinaglabanan Shrine was declared as a National Shrine by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260.

After years of dilapidation, a Php50 million renovation for the park was begun, headed by the San Juan local government, under Mayor Francis Zamora, and the Department of Public Works and Highways with consultation from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

The “Eternal Flame”

The  makeover of the landmark included the replacement of flooring, landscaping, construction of a perimeter fence and public toilets and installation of new sets of elevated LED lights and sprinklers. On November 25, 2019, the memorial shrine was reopened.

The shrine is jointly maintained by the San Juan city government and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines which runs two museums within the park, the Museo ng Katipunan (Museum of the Katipunan) and the Museo El Deposito (El Deposito Museum).

Check out “Museo ng Katipunan,” “Museo El Deposito” and “El Deposito Underground Reservoir”

Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine:  N. Domingo cor. Pinaglabanan Street, Barangay Paraiso, City of San Juan, Metro Manila.  Coordinates: 14°36′17″N 121°01′52″E.

How to Get There: Jeepneys, at Camp Crame, have routes that pass by the Pinaglabanan Shrine.  RRCG buses that ply the Ortigas Avenue-Sta. Mesa route also pass by the Pinaglabanan Shrine.  By car, take the Bonny Serrano Avenue westbound, beside Camp Crame, until you reach Pinaglabanan Shrine.  From Ortigas Avenue westbound, turn left at Bonny Serrano Avenue and go straight until you reach Pinanglabanan Shrine on the right.

Ten Things You May Not Know of Corregidor (Cavite))

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The author beside Battery Hearn on Corregidor Island

Extracted from my article published in the Business Mirror last May 10, 2015

On the 79rd anniversary of the Fall of Corregidor, here are 10 facts that Filipinos may not know about the island fortress of Corregidor and its adjoining islands.

  • The cement for concrete used to line the 30 to 40 ft. thick walls of Malinta Tunnel (an 836-ft. long, fishbone-shaped system of bombproof tunnels with three 227-m. by 8-m. main sections and 24 49-m. by 4.5-m. laterals) was, ironically, Asada cement bought from the Japanese.
  • Corregidor and Caballo islands are believed to be the exposed rim of a volcano that form part of a potentially active (according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) volcanic caldera. With a rim elevation of 173 m. (568 ft.) and a base diameter of 4 kms. (2.5 mi.), it has no known eruptions in the Holocene Period (around 10,000 years ago) as it last eruption was about 1 million years based on the age of deposits.

Corregidor – part of a rim of a volcano

  • Malinta Tunnel was bored out of Malinta Hill using “forced labor”in the form of 1,000 convicts from the Old Bilibid Prison in Manila, most of which were serving life sentences. The Philippine Commonwealth offered them as equity in the construction of Malinta Tunnel Project.

Malinta Tunnel – built with convict labor and Japanese Asada cement

  • The island’s name was either derived from the Spanish name for “corrector” (one who checks and corrects papers of incoming ships) or from the Spanish word corregidor (the man who heads the corregimiento or unpacified military zone).
  • Though Corregidor is much nearer geographically (it is 3 nautical miles away with 30 minutes travel time from Brgy. Cabcaben) and historically to Mariveles (Bataan), it belongs to Cavite, being under the territorial jurisdiction and administrative management of Cavite City.   When you are on the island you can see more of Bataan than Cavite City.

The nearby Bataan peninsula as seen from Corregidor

  • The 880-m. (1,520-ft.) long, three-storey high and hurricane-proof “Mile Long” Barracks, though less than a third of a mile long, is reputedly the world’s longest military barracks. It housed 8,000 men and the headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Mile Long Barracks – the longest in the world

  • The flagpole where the American flag was lowered during the May 6, 1942 surrender to the Japanese and raised during the March 2, 1945 liberation is actually a mast of a Spanish warship Reina Cristinawhich was captured by Admiral George Dewey after the May 1, 1898 Battle of Manila Bay and put up in Corregidor.  The American flag was lowered for the last time on October 12, 1947 and the Philippine flag hoisted in its stead.

The flagpole from the Spanish warship Reina Cristina

  • Corregidor had “disappearing” gun batteries. These disappearing guns were mounted on a “disappearing carriage” which enabled a gun to hide from direct fire and observation. Battery Crockett and Cheney each had two 12” seacoast guns while Battery Grubbs had two 10” guns.

The disappearing gun of Battery Crockett

  • Fort Drum, the “Concrete Battleship,” located 7 mi. southeast of Corregidor, must be unprecedented in the history of military fortifications. Located on the former small, rocky El Fraile Island, this heavily fortified 240-ft. long, 160-ft. wide and 40-ft. high citadel bristled with 11 guns (including two batteries with rotating turrets with two 14” guns). It was built from 1909 to 1919 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who flattened the island and reconstructed it to resemble the forepart of a battleship, with one end flat and the other shaped like a prow.
  • Though Corregidor and the adjoining islands bristled with 56 coastal guns and mortars in 23 seacoast batteries and 76 (28 3-inch and 48 50-caliber) anti-aircraft guns in 13 batteries, with artillery models dating back to 1890, only the eight 12-inch mortars of Battery Geary and the four 12-inch mortars of Way proved to be the best and most effective for the defense of Corregidor during the Japanese siege.

Battery Way – one of only two gun batteries effective against the Japanese

Corregidor Island: Cavite City, Cavite

Japanese Tunnel (City of Ilagan, Isabela)

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Ilagan Japanese Tunnel

A lull in our 2020 Bambanti Festival proceedings allowed our 20-man media group to make a visit, via the provincial government-supplied airconditioned bus, to the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel, just a short 6.5-km. (15-min.) drive away from the Provincial Capitol.

Upon arrival, we were met and guided by Ms. Gemelet C. Amugauan of the Ilagan Sanctuary Tour Guide Association.  Inside the tunnel, we were not allowed to take pictures though.

Statues of Japanese soldiers guarding the entrance to the tunnel

This man-made war tunnel, part of the Japanese military headquarters during the 1942 to 1945 Japanese Occupation of the Philippines in World War II, was built with the sweat and blood of detained Ilagueños and is one of the few remaining tunnels in the province.

The Japanese tunnel

Aside from being the headquarters, it was also a weapons storage facility for bombs, explosives, guns and ammunition. Captured Filipino guerrillas were also imprisoned and tortured here.

The tunnel  measures about 40 m. long and 3.66 m.  in width and height. However, the real length of the tunnel has yet to be determined as the site has yet to be fully explored. 

Part of the exhibit

The tunnel was restored, reconditioned, and conserved by the city government and, on February 16, 2016, through City Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz,  was unveiled and opened to the public.

Stairway leading up to the watchtower

Inside the cave, Gemelet narrated the history of the place and showed us a replica of a golden Buddha (the original was said to have been inside the cave when it was first found), bomb shells (now defused), a Japanese rifle, a golden fan, replicas of pieces of gold bars and some uniforms of that era. Scattered inside the cave, as well as outside, are concrete, life-size statues of Japanese soldiers. 

The watchtower

Some people say that this tunnel in Ilagan is only a decoy as there might be a larger tunnel somewhere in Brgy. Camunatan, where 6 x 6 army trucks can fit inside but, up to now, they couldn’t find that tunnel.

Japanese Gates (Torii) at the top and bottom of the stairway

A long flight of concrete steps, cut into the hillside, leads to a watchtower. At the top and bottom of the stairway are concrete Japanese gates (torii).

Japanese-style garden

Outside the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel, garden has been designed to look like the parks of Japan, with a Shinto shrine, bridge, wind chime (furin) and a koi pond.

Ticket office and souvenir shop

There’s also concrete model of  Japanese World War II plane (its wing broken), a children’s playground, a treehouse, picnic tables and a souvenir shop.

Treehouse

Lady visitors can have a slice  of Japanese traditional by renting traditional Japanese kimonos, have their hair styled like a Japanese Geisha, carry a Japanese umbrella for a more authentic feel and then have their awesome pictures taken along the stairway or under the torii. 

Statue of Japanese soldier

Ilagan Japanese Tunnel : Brgy. Santo Tomas, Ilagan City, Isabela. Mobile numbers (0935) 701-1586 and (0932) 858-3081. Admission: PhP50/pax.  There’s an Information Center at Bonifacio Park in Ilagan City where a guide can take you to the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel. Documentary and pre-nuptial photography sessions as well as other pictorials are allowed for a fee. You have to pay for comfort room use.

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.

Old Melbourne Gaol (Australia)

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The Old Melbourne Gaol

One of the highlights of our last day in Melbourne was our Old Melbourne Gaol – Crime and Justice Experience (in 2010, it won the heritage and cultural tourism category at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Hobart) which included the Watch House Experience. The Old Melbourne Gaol, consisting of a bluestone building and courtyard, is located next to the old City Police Watch House and City Courts buildings.

Exterior of the Old Melbourne Gaol

In 1957, the Old Melbourne Gaol was listed by the National Trust of Australia on its heritage register and, as of 2010, was recognized as Victoria’s oldest surviving penal establishment.  It attracts approximately 140,000 visitors per year.

Check out “Watch House Experience”

Historical plaque

It was first constructed starting in 1839 but the present Melbourne Gaol is the second on the site. Though it was used briefly during World War II (the gaol was used as a military prison for soldiers found to be absent without leave), it formally ceased operating as a prison in 1929 when the conditions were no longer deemed acceptable.

National Trust of Australia (Victoria) plaque

This is the only remaining piece of the cell blocks still standing but other remaining buildings from the prison complex, as well as the original arched jail entry gate (around the corner off of Victoria Street) are now part of the RMIT University complex.

The only penal fortress in the area and an imposing symbol of the city’s unforgiving justice system, the jail became the holding house for everyone from short-term prisoners, mentally ill lunatics to some of the colony’s most notorious and hardened criminals and serial killers.

Scaled Model of Old Melbourne Gaol

It also housed up to twenty children at a time (including those imprisoned for petty theft or vagrancy) or simply those staying with a convicted parent.

The youngest prisoner recorded was the three-year-old Michael Crimmins, who spent 6 months in the prison in 1857 for being idle and disorderly. Babies under twelve months old were allowed to be with their mothers. In 1851, the 13- and 14-year-old O’Dowd sisters were imprisoned because they had nowhere else to go.

Edward “Ned” Kelly, an Australian outlaw, gang leader and convicted police murderer, was one of the last bushrangers and, by far, the most famous. He is best known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armor during his final shootout with the police.

During its operation as a prison from 1842 to 1924, it held and executed (a total of 135 people were executed by hanging) some of Australia’s most notorious criminals, including bushranger Ned Kelly (executed November 11, 1880) and serial killer Frederick Bailey Deeming (executed May 23, 1892).

Frederick Bailey Deeming Exhibit. An English-born Australian gasfitter and murderer, Deeming was convicted and executed for the murder of a woman in Melbourne, Australia. He is also remembered today because he was suspected, by some, of being the notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper.

Along with co-accused Julian Cross and David Gedge, Elizabeth Scott became the first woman to be hanged in Victoria (November 11, 1863).  The last person to be executed was Angus Murray on April 14, 1924, the same year the gaol was closed.

Emma Williams Exhibit. Hanged on November 4, 1895, aged twenty-seven, the anguished Emma drowned her baby son, on August 1895, because he was a “nuisance” and cried when she had clients (she was a prostitute).

The three-storey Old Melbourne Gaol, reopened as a public museum (under the management of the National Trust of Australia, Victoria) On March 2,1972, displays information and various  memorabilia of the prisoners (including death masks, an iron mask and a pair of leather gloves designed to prevent inmates from practicing self-abuse) and staff.

Death masks. A likeness (typically in wax or plaster cast) of a person’s face after their death, usually made by taking a cast or impression from the corpse.

At one time the museum displayed what was believed, at the time, to be Ned Kelly’s skull, before it was stolen from its glass cabinet in 1978; as well as the pencil used by wrongly convicted Colin Campbell Ross to write a letter protesting his innocence (which he threw over the prison walls), before being executed.

Death Mask of Ned Kelly

Throughout the three floors, we explored a number of cells with displays of various bits of historical information regarding the prison and its inmates on display.

The Lashing Triangle. In the 1800s, the most common form of punishment was the lash where prisoners received 25 lashes for minor infringements and 50 for more serious crimes. They were tied to this 3-beamed triangle (known as being “married to the three sisters”) and dealt the blows which would often strip the flesh from a man’s back. Many became seriously ill or died as a result.

In addition to information, it also includes memorabilia. Notably, it still includes Ned Kelly’s death mask, pistol and replica of his suit of armor.

Locks

While inside the jail, we also took time to look at their gross (some have hairs sticking out of them) and fascinating collection of death masks, plaster casts made from the executed prisoners as part of the phrenological study of hanged felons.

Basilio Bondietti Exhibit. He was executed on December 11, 1876 for the murder of his mate, Carlo Cormisto, at Sandy Creek, near Seymour.

Fatta Chand Exhibit. This 24 year old Indian man was executed on April 27, 1891 for murdering his Hindu partner Juggo Moll near Healesville last November 1890.

Notable for me is the mask of Filipi (Felipe?) Castillo, a Filipino migrant (Filipinos settled in Australia as early as the 1880s). Born in Manila in 1869, he was sentenced to death on September 16, 1889 for the theft and murder of Annie Thornton.

Filipi Castillo Exhibit

The hangman’s beam, which claimed some 133 lives, has a rope dangling eerily above the trap door. You even can try on replicas of Ned Kelly’s famous armor suit, which makes for a fun photo opp.

Replicas of Ned Kelly’s famous armor suit for children to wear

Old Melbourne Gaol: 377 Russell Street (between Victoria Street and La Trobe Street), Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Open daily (closed Christmas Day and Good Friday), 9.30 AM to 5 PM (Last entry suggested at 3:30 PM). Tel: 03 9656 9889 (Mondays – Friday). E-mail: bookings@nattrust.com.au. Website: www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au. Admission: $28 (adults), $23 (concession), $15 (children, 5-15 years), $65 (family, 2 adults + 2 children), $48 (1 adult ++ 2 children) and $5 (extra child on family tickets). A Virtual Reality headset is available for mobility challenged visitors courtesy of the State Trustees Australia Foundation. Note: the old entrance archway sits on the university campus, so please be respectful of the students that may be in class.

How to Get There: For bus, use the Old Melbourne Gaol stop directly in front of the compound. For the City Tram, you can use either the RMIT University stop or the Russell Street stop off of the No. 30 & 35 tram. There is no on-site parking available but paid street parking is offered along La Trobe Street.