Vatican Museums (Vatican City)

Posted on 25 May, 2016 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

The Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani) display works from the immense collection built up by the Popes throughout the centuries including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The Sistine Chapel (the very last sala within the museum), with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo, and the Stanze di Raffaello, decorated by Raphael, are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums. The group of museums includes several sculpture museums surrounding the Cortile del Belvedere.

Entrance to the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums trace their origin to the marble sculpture Laocoön and his Sons which was discovered on January 14, 1506, in a vineyard near the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, purchased from the vineyard owner by Pope Julius II and placed on public display at the Vatican exactly one month after its discovery. On October 2006, the Museums celebrated their 500th anniversary by permanently opening the excavations of a Vatican Hill necropolis to the public.

Laocoon and his Sons

Here’s some trivia regarding the Vatican Museums:

It is one of the largest museums in the world.
It has a total of 54 galleries (orsale)
Visited by nearly 6 million people (three times the figure of 30 years ago) in 2013, it is the 6th most visited art museum in the world.

The new building, designed by Luca Beltrami, was inaugurated on October 27, 1932. The museum has paintings including:

Giotto‘s Stefaneschi Triptych
Olivuccio di Ciccarello,Opere di Misericordia
Raphael’s Madonna of Foligno, Oddi Altarpiece and Transfiguration
Leonardo da Vinci‘s Jerome in the Wilderness
Caravaggio‘s Entombment
Perugino‘s Madonna and Child with Saints and San Francesco al Prato Resurrection
Filippo Lippi‘s Marsuppini Coronation

Other notable museums and galleries include:

The Collection of Modern Religious Art, , inaugurated by Pope Paul VI in 1973, houses 600 accumulated works of paintings, sculptures and other graphic works, all donations of contemporary Italian and foreign artists. They include works by Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin, Marc Chagall, Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Carlo Carrà and Giorgio de Chirico.

Contemporary Art Collection (Collezione Arte Contemporanea)

Matisse Room (Sala Matisse)

The Greek Cross Gallery (Sala a Croce Greca) houses a 3rd century mosaic from Tusculum in the middle and two colossal sarcophagi in red porphyry. The sarcophagus on the left (4th century) belonged to Saint Helen, mother of Constantine the Great (306-337), comes from her mausoleum in Via Labicana. The sarcophagus on the right belonged to Constance, Emperor Constantine’s daughter and was in the Church of Santa Costanza in Via Nomentana.

The 3rd century mosaic from Tusculum at the Greek Cross Gallery (Sala a Croce Greca)

Sarcopahgus of Costanza

The Round Room (Sala Rotonda), built by Michelangelo Simonetti in the late 18th century in a pure Neo-Classical style, has a 21.60 m. diameter dome actually modeled on the Pantheon. It has impressive and fascinating ancient 3rd century mosaics from the Baths of Otricoli (Umbria region ) on the floors and ancient statues lining the perimeter, including a 2nd century gilded bronze statue of Hercules found near the Theater of Pompey. In the middle of the room is a huge round monolithic porphyry basin, measuring almost 5 m. across, which came from the Domus Aurea and was brought here in the late 18th century.

Round Room (Sala Rotonda)

The Gallery of Maps (Galleria della Carte Geografiche) features topographical maps of the whole of Italy, painted between 1580 and 1585 on the walls by friar Ignazio Danti of Perugia, a famous geographer of the time, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII (1572–1585). It remains the world’s largest pictorial geographical study. It takes its name from the 40 maps frescoed on the walls, which represent the Italian regions and the papal properties at the time of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585). Considering the Apennines as a partition element, on one side the regions surrounded by the Ligure and Tyrrhenian Seas are represented; on the other, the regions surrounded by the Adriatic Sea. The map of the main city accompanies each regional map.

The author at the Gallery of Maps (Galleria della Carte Geografiche)

The Gallery of the Statues (Galleria delle Statue), originally an open loggia of the Palace of Innocent VIII and later walled in during the second half of the 18th century, holds various precious and important Roman statues including some copies of Greek statues of the Classical period (5th-4th century B.C.) such as the bust of Menander; the Apollo Sauroktonos, the lizard-killer, copied from Praxiteles (c.350 B.C.); and the famous Sleeping Ariadne, a Roman copy of the 2nd century from an original by the School of Pergamon (2nd century B.C.). It also contains the Barberini Candelabra.
The Gallery of the Busts (Galleria dei Busti) displays many ancient busts of Roman emperors.
The Gallery of the Candelabra (Galleria dei Candelabri), originally an open loggia built in 1761 and walled up at the end of the 18th century, has a ceiling was painted in 1883-1887. The gallery contains Roman copies of Hellenistic originals (3rd-2nd century B.C.) and some great 2nd century candelabra from Otricoli.

Gallery of the Candelabra (Galleria dei Candelabri)

The Chariot Room, a late 18th century room, contains a large marble Roman chariot drawn by two horses, dating from the 1st century A.D., but heavily restored in 1788. The copy of the famous Discobolus found in Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana) at Tivoli, from a bronze Greek original by Myron (c. 460 B.C.) is also displayed here.

The Chariot Room

The Cabinet of the Masks (Gabinetto delle Maschere) has a mosaic on the floor of the gallery, found in Hadrian’s Villa (Villa Adriana), which shows ancient theater masks. Several famous statues are shown along the walls including the Three Graces (one wove the thread of life, the second nurtured it and the third cut it) and the remarkable Roman Venus of Cnidos (the original, mid 4th century B.C., also by Praxiteles, came from the Greek sanctuary of Cnidos and was much admired in antiquity).
The Room of Muses (Sala delle Muse), octagonal in shape, houses the 4^th century BC statue group of Apollo and the nine Muses (copied from Greek originals and uncovered in 1774 in a Roman villa near Tivoli) as well as and statues by important ancient Greek philosophers and writers (Homer, Socrates, Plato, Euripides, etc.). Its center piece is the famous Belvedere Torso, a 1st century B.C. original by the Athenian sculptor Apollonius and revered by Michelangelo and other Renaissance men for its powerful and vigorous muscolature. Recent studies identify the statue with the figure of the Greek hero Ajax.

Room of the Muses

Belvedere Torso

The Room of the Animals (Sala degli Animali) is so named because of the many ancient Roman statues of animals, heavily restored at the end of the 18^th century.

Room of the Animals (Sala degli Animali)

Museo Chiaramonti, founded in the early 19th century, was named after Pope Pius VII (whose last name was Chiaramonti before his election as pope). This large arched gallery, organized by the Neo-Classical sculptor Antonio Canova in 1807, exhibits a collection of about a thousand Roman sculptures, including portraits of emperors and gods, several fragments, friezes and reliefs of sarcophagi. Noteworthy is a funerari monument of a miller dating from the 1st century A.D. which was found at Ostia.

Museo Chiaramonti

Braccio Nuovo, the New Wing of Museo Chiaramonti built by Raffaele Stern and inaugurated in 1822 by Pius VII, houses important Roman statues and Roman copies of Greek original statues like a statue of Augustus, found at the Prima Porta (north of Rome); a Roman copy of the Doryphorus from an original by the Greek sculptor Polykleitos (440 B.C.); two splendid gilded bronze peacocks (copies of which are in the Courtyard of the “Pigna”), that may come from Hadrian’s Mausoleum; and the statue of The River Nile, a Roman copy of a 1st century Hellenistic statue originally found in the Temple of Isis, near the Pantheon and showing the great Egyptian river with its tributaries. Mosaics are set on the floors.
Galeria Lapidaria, another part of Museo Chiaramonti, has more than 3,000 stone tablets and inscriptions, the world’s greatest collection of its kind. However, it is opened only by special permission, usually for reasons of study.
Gallery of Tapestries (Galleria degli Arazzi) exhibits, along its walls, Flemish tapestries, realized in Brussels by Pieter van Aelst’s School from drawings by Raphael’s pupils, during the pontificate of Pope Clement VII (1523-1534). They were first shown in the Sistine Chapel in 1531 and, in 1838, arranged for the exhibition in this gallery.

Gallery of Tapestries (Galleria degli Arazzi)

Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1836, has eight galleries and houses important Etruscan pieces such as vases, sarcophagus and bronzes, all coming from archaeological excavations from southern Etruria; the Guglielmi Collection; a large collection of Hellenistic Italian vases and some Roman pieces (Antiquarium Romanorum). In Room II is the notable Regolini-Galassi tomb and Rooms IV-VIII, known as the “Precious,” exhibit gold jewelry realized by Etruscan goldsmiths during the ten centuries of their civilization.
The Missionary Ethnological Museum, inaugurated by Pius XI in 1926, was also moved from the Lateran Palace. The collection consists of artworks and historical vestiges from missions all over the world. There are some interesting models of non-Catholic places of worship, such as Beijing’s Temple of the Sky (originally from the 15th century but re-done in the 18th century), the Altar of Confucius and the Shintoist Temple of Nara, Japan’s ancient capital city. The Buddhist devotional statues are testimonies of spiritual life in Tibet, Indonesia, India and the Far East; the findings of Islamic and Central African culture are also interesting, and so are objects and works of art, especially from Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua.
Museo Gregoriano Egiziano, inaugurated on February 2, 1839 to commemorate the anniversary of Pope Gregory XVI‘s (1831-1846) accession to the papacy, was formerly housed in the Lateran Palace. In 1970, Pope John XXIII had it relocated in the Vatican. The museum houses a grand collection of Ancient Egyptian material such as papyruses, the Grassi Collection, animal mummies and reproductions of the famous Book of the Dead.
The Vatican Historical Museum (Italian: Museo storico vaticano), founded in 1973 at the behest of Pope Paul VI, was initially hosted in environments under the Square Garden. In 1987, it was moved to the main floor of the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran and opened in March 1991. It has a unique collection of portraits of the Popes from the 16th century to date, the memorable items of the Papal Military Corps of the 16–17th centuries and old religious paraphernalia related to rituals of the papacy.
The Carriage Pavilion, a section of the Historical Museum located in a large room under the Square Garden, was founded by Paul VI in 1973. It contains saddles, carriages, papamobili (Popemobiles), automobiles (including the first cars used by popes) and sedan chairs used by various popes and cardinals. Curiosities include some 19th century carriages, a model of Vatican City’s first train engine (1929) and a Berlin built for Pope Leo XII, used by popes for gala occasions until Pius XI’s time.
The Pius-Clementine (Pio-Clementino) Museum, founded Pope Clement XIV in 1771, originally contained Renaissance and antique works. Pius VI, Clement’s successor, enlarged the museum and its collection and, today, it houses works of Greek and Roman sculpture. After passing through a square vestibule and a small room with a magnificent marble cup, visitors enters the Cabinet of Apoxyomenos (shows an athlete scrapping off his sweat with a strigil, a kind of razor used in antiquity), named after a Roman copy of an original Greek bronze work by Lysippos (c. 320 B.C.). Bramante’s Staircase, seen from the next room, was commissioned by Julius II in 1512 as a link between the Palace of Innocent VIII (1484-1492) and the city of Rome. The spiral staircase, built in a square tower, could also be climbed on horseback.

Apoxyomenos

The Sobieski Room (Sala Sobieski) derives its name from the large painting by the Polish painter Jan Matejko (1838-1893), which represents Polish King John III Sobieski’s victory over the Turks in Vienna in 1683. All the other paintings in the room date from the 19th century.

The large painting by the Polish painter Jean Matejko (1838-1893) in the Sobieski Room (Sala Sobieski)

The Room of the Immaculate Conception (Sala dell Immacolata Concezione) contains a big showcase, a gift from the French company Christofle, full of books given to Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) by kings, bishops, cities and dioceses, when the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was promulgated.

Room of the Immaculate Conception (Sala dell Immacolata Concezione)

The Octagonal Courtyard (Cortile Ottagono), named after its shape by Clement XIV in 1772, houses famous statues such as the Apollo Belvedere, a Roman 2nd century copy from a Greek bronze original possibly by Leochares (330-320 B.C.), originally placed in the Agora of Athens and brought to the Vatican by Pope Julius II; the Perseus with the head of Medusa between two boxers by Antonio Canova (1800-1801); and the celebrated Laocoon group, a 1st century Roman copy from the Greek original in bronze by Hagesandros, Athanadoros and Polydoros, found in Rome on the Esquiline Hill in 1506 and purchased by Julius II who had it set in the Vatican. The latter sculpture represents the Trojan priest Laocoon who warned his fellow citizens about the ruse of the wooden horse, a gift of the Greeks. With his two sons, he was condemned to die by the wrath of Athena, victim of some serpents emerging from the sea.

Octagonal Courtyard (Cortile Ottagono)

Apollo del Belvedere

The Picture Gallery (Pinacoteca), situated in a building that dates back to 1932 and designed by the architect Luca Beltrami, was commissioned by Pope Pius IX (1922 -1939) expressly to house a collection of paintings, belonging to various popes and started by Pope Pius VI (1775-1799). It is connected to the Museum complex (at the entrance of the Quattro Cancelli) by an elegant portico. The works, covering a period from the Middle Ages to 1800, are set in chronological order, in eighteen rooms.
Pio Christian Museum (Museum Christianum), founded by Pius IX in 1854, contains Christian antiquities such as statues, sarcophagi, inscriptions and archaeological findings dating from the 6th century, all originally exhibited in the Lateran Museum. Noteworthy is the statue of the Good Shepherd (represents a beardless young man wearing a sleeveless tunic and a bag) restored in the 18th century.
The Gregorian Profane Museum, founded by Gregory XVI, was also formerly housed in the Lateran Palace but relocated to the Vatican in 1970 by Pope John XXIII. It contains original Greek works, Roman copies and sculptures dating from the 1st to the 3rd century A.D. The most famous group is Athena and Marsyas, a copy of a Greek original by Myron (c. 450 B.C.).

Other highlights of the museums include:

The red marble papal throne, formerly in the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano;
Roman sculpture, tombstones, and inscriptions, including the Early Christian Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus and Dogmatic sarcophagus, and the epitaph of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus.
The Raphael Rooms (Stanze di Raffaello) form a suite of four reception rooms in the palace, the public part of the papal apartments for Pope Julius II. They are famous for their frescoes painted by Raphael and his workshop, including the masterpiece The School of Athens. The rooms are the Hall of Constantine (Sala di Costantino), the Room of Heliodorus (Stanza di Eliodoro), the Room of the Signatura (Stanza della Segnatura) and the Room of the Fire in the Borgo (Stanza dell’Incendio del Borgo).

Hall of Constantine (Sala di Costantino)

Room of Heliodorus (Stanza di Eliodoro)

Room of the Signatura (Stanza della Segnatura)

Room of the Fire in the Borgo (Stanza dell Incendio di Borgo)

The Niccoline Chapel
The Sistine Chapel, including the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
Courtyard of the “Pigna,” named after a colossal almost 4 m. high bronze pine cone which, in the Classic Age, stood near the Pantheon in Rome, known as the “Pigna Quarter,” was probably first moved to the atrium of the ancient St Peter’s Basilica during the Middle Ages and then moved here in 1608. Two bronze peacocks, copies of 2nd century A.D. originals in the Braccio Nuovo, flank the pine cone. In the middle of the wide-open space are two concentric spheres by sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro (1990).

Courtyard of the Pigna

The Borgia Apartment (Appartamento Borgia) a private wing built for Pope Alexander VI (Borgia,1492-1503), was decorated with frescoes by Bernardo di Betto (called il Pinturicchio) and his assistants. After the pontiff’s death, the work on the apartments stopped. However, at the end of the 19th century, they were only reopened to the public. Most of the rooms are now used for the Collection of Modern Religious Art.

Borgia Apartments (Appartamento Borgia)

The double spiral staircase, designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932, has two parts. A double helix, of shallow incline, being a stepped ramp rather than a true staircase, encircles the outer wall of a stairwell of approximately 15 m. (49 ft.) wide and with a clear space at the center. The balustrade around the ramp is of ornately worked metal.
The Apartment of Pius V, built for Pope Pius V (1566-1572) and frescoed by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, consists of a gallery, two small rooms and a chapel. It contains Flemish tapestries of the 15th and 16th centuries. The first of the two small rooms, next to the gallery, contains a rich Medieval and Renaissance collection of ceramics found in the Vatican Palaces and in other Vatican properties in Rome; the other room has a suggestive collection of minute mosaics, made in Rome between the end of the 18th and the first half of the 19th century.

Apartment of Pius V

Vatican Museums: Viale Vaticano, 00165 Rome, Italy. Open in winter Mondays to Saturdays, 8:45 AM to 1:45 PM, and at Easter, July, August and September, Mondays to Saturdays, 8:45 AM to 4:45 PM. Entry is free on the last Sunday of every month. Admission to the museum allowed up to 45 minutes before the closing time. Closed on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month. The entrance to the museums is on Viale Vaticano, near Piazza Risorgimento.

Fountain of the Four Rivers (Rome, Italy)

Posted on 24 May, 2016 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Fountain of the Four Rivers

The Fountain of the Four Rivers (Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi), triumphantly and theatrically unveiled to the Roman populace on June 12, 1651, is Rome’s greatest achievement in this genre and the epitome of Baroque theatricality.

Piazza Navona

The author (right) and son Jandy at Piazza Navona

This fountain, which can be strolled around, was built on Piazza Navona, the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for Pope Innocent X (reigned 1644-1655). The pope’s family palace, the Palazzo Pamphili, faced onto the piazza as did the church of Sant’Agnese in Agone of which Innocent was the sponsor.

Palazzo Pamphili

Bernini‘s design was influenced by the design of the Monument of the Four Moors (Monumento dei Quattro mori). It may have also been influenced by a fountain in Marino, Lazio which was constructed to commemorate the defeat of the Ottomans at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

The obelisk

The base of the fountain is a basin whose center has a slender, ancient Egyptian obelisk, brought in pieces from the Circus of Maxentius to Rome by the Emperor Caracalla. It was built for the Roman Serapeum in AD 81 but had been buried for a long time at Capo di Bove.

Pamphili family emblem

Beneath it are four semi-prostrate giant nudes of river gods, all in awe of the central tower surmounted with the Pamphili family emblem of a dove with an olive twig, symbol of Papal power and the Holy Spirit. The river gods depict the four major rivers of the four continents, (whose rivers feed the ocean, represented by the large pool) as then recognized by the Renaissance geographers, through which papal authority had spread.

The river gods

Supported on the base by a jagged and pierced mountainous disorder of travertine marble rocks, the marble giants are arranged at the center of a scene of carved grottoes and decorated with flowers, exotic plants and 7 animals (a horse, a sea monster, a serpent, a dolphin, a crocodile, a lion and a dragon) that further carry forth identification.

Lion

Sea monster

Each carries a certain number of allegories and metaphors with it. The Nile, representing Africa, has a head draped with a loose piece of cloth, meaning that no one, at that time, knew exactly where the Nile’s source was. Symbolically, this also refers to what the Catholic world saw as the dark ignorance of the “pagan” world: the sculpture has not seen the light of Christianity

Statue of the Nile River

The apathetic Ganges river god, representing Asia, carries a long oar, representing the river’s navigability, and looks away from the light of the Church, representing the spiritual ignorance of this hedonistic land.

Statue of the Ganges

The Danube, representing Europe, touches the Pope’s personal coat of arms, since it is the large river closest to Rome. The most “civilized” and cultured of the figures, the Danube looks toward and embraces the light of the lord.

Statue of the Danube

The Río de la Plata (the word plata means “silver” in Spanish), representing America, sits on a pile of coins, a symbol of the riches America could offer to Europe. The Río de la Plata also looks scared by a snake, showing rich men’s fear that their money could be stolen. Although he throws his hands back in surprise, this representative of the newly converted lands has begun to see the light.

Statue of the Rio de la Plata

There are a number of urban legends regarding the fountain, nasty rumors fed by the famous rivalry between the Bermini and Borromini, designer of the church of Sant’Agnese right in front of the fountain. Borromini lost the fountain commission to Bermini. Many tour-guides, would tell you that Bernini positioned the cowering sculpture of the Rio de la Plata River as if it feared the facade of the church could possibly crumble against him; that the statue of the Nile covered its head so as not to have to see the church; and that the statue of Sant’Agnese on the facade of the church, with her hand on her chest, seems to reassure the Rio de la Plata of the church’s stability. However, the truth is the fountain was completed several years before Borromini began work on the church.

Church of Sant’ Agnese

Today, this revolutionary and grandiose monument to the power and glory of the pope and his family and dynamic fusion of architecture and sculpture, with its highly dramatic, evocative, and individualized figures, dramatically spurting water and a wealth of surprising and charming sculptural details, continues to amaze and entertain visitors to Rome.

Fontana del Moro

Statue of the Moor

One of four Tritons

Piazza Navona has two other fountains – the Fontana del Moro, at the southern end, and the Fountain of Neptune at the northern end. The Fontana del Moro has a basin and four Tritons sculpted by Giacomo della Porta in 1575. In 1673, Bernini added a statue of a Moor, standing on a conch shell, wrestling with a dolphin.

Fountain of Neptune

The Fountain of Neptune was also created by Giacomo della Porta in1574. In1878, the statue of Neptune, by Antonio Della Bitta, was added in to create a balance with La Fontana del Moro.

Museo di Roma

Other buildings within the piazza include the Museo di Roma, housed in the large Neoclassical Palazzo Braschi, covering the history of the city in the period from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century; and the Church of Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, also known as the Church of San Giacomo degli Spagnoli), the national church of the Spanish community in Rome.

Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Fountain of the Four Rivers: Piazza Navona, Boccadellaverità, Rome, Italy.

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse Museum (Burgos, Ilocos Norte)

Posted on 24 March, 2016 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

After touring Bacarra Church, Melissa, Almira, Albert, Jandy and I again boarded our bus or the 33-km./40 min. drive to the century-old (first lit on March 30, 1892) Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, the most accessible of all the lighthouses in the island of Luzon and the highest elevated (the tower of the Cape Melville Lighthouse is the tallest at 90 ft/27 m.), still original and active Spanish era lighthouse in the country.

NHI Plaque

Last April 6, 2004, on our way to Bauang (La Union) from Pagudpud, my family and I dropped by to visit the lighthouse but wasn’t able to go in as it was then being rehabilitated. A few months after our visit, on August 13, 2004, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse was declared a National Historical Landmark and, on June 20, 2005, was also declared by the National Museum as a National Cultural Treasure. Recently, the lighthouse was used as the backdrop for the romantic scenes of Coco Martin and Julia Montes in ABS CBN’s 2012 teleserye “Walang Hanggan.”

View of Cape Bojeador and the West Philippine Sea

In Brgy. Paayas in Burgos, a sign on the right side of the Maharlika Highway indicates the winding and narrow, two-lane concrete road that leads to the base of the lighthouse. From the base, we boarded two tricycles (PhP50/each way) that took us to the small parking lot where there are stalls selling ice candy, canned soda, some finger foods and souvenirs (including a wooden craft replica of the lighthouse with a pen stand).

The courtyard with cistern in the middle

Service building

Upon arrival, we climbed a flight of concrete stairs to the perimeter wall. Here, we had a good view of the rough and rocky Cape Bojeador coastline and the whitecaps of the West Philippine Sea. We then proceeded to the courtyard where the service buildings and the cistern are located.

T-shaped stairway

The main pavilion

An elegant T-shaped stairway then lead us up the verandah of the main pavilion, with its 3 apartments, 2 offices, capiz and louvered window panes and decorative iron grilles, where a hallway took us to the foot of the covered stairs that that lead to the entrance of the 20 m. (66-ft.) high octagonal stone tower.

Albert, Almira, Melissa an Jandy at the veranda of main pavilion

This was as far as we could go as no visitors were allowed to go up, via a steep spiral metal staircase (not recommended or senior citizens), to the lantern room (now a modern electric lamp powered by solar panels) on top. Only a certain number of people are allowed in the tower at a time and access to the viewing gallery (surrounded with decorative iron grille work) depends on the outside wind condition. As it was Holy Week, it was closed to visitors.

The lighthouse tower

One place we had access to was the small, newly restored Cape Bojeador Lighthouse Museum. Housed in the pavilion at the foot of the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, the rooms lining the hallway used to be shut but, since its inauguration last November 21, 2015, it is now open to the public. At the time of our visit, the rooms were sparsely decorated with low wooden furniture, including four-poster beds by the windows.

The author at one of the apartments

One room was filled with items that were once used to run the lighthouse (the original kerosene lamp, batteries, a part of the original first order Fresnel lens, etc.), perhaps the most striking in the area, plus samples of original brick work and old photos.

The lighthouse museum

Original kerosene lamp

We also dropped by the Paru de Kabo Bojeador, the new tourist center which has stalls selling souvenirs and a safe resting area on what had previously been a construction road. The pavilion has also been transformed into lodging for people seeking basic accommodation (except for shared cooking facilities and water from the cistern, no other amenities are provided).

Original brick work

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse: Vigia de Nagpartian Hill, Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Admission: PhP40 for adults and PhP30 for children aged 7-12 years old.

Taoid: A Museum of the Cordilleras in Ilocos Norte (Laoag City)

Posted on 22 March, 2016 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Taoid: A Museum of the Cordilleras in Ilocos Norte

Inaugurated last November 17, 2015, the Taoid Museum is located a stone’s throw away from the Laoag Provincial Capitol. The museum showcases a Pre-Colonial side of Ilocandia and the province’s Cordilleran roots.

Mga Sagisag ng Pagka-Lalake at Pagka-Babae (Symbols of the Masculine and Feminine)

Pamumuno at Karangyaan (Leadership and Wealth)

A tribute to the indigenous people in the municipalities of Nueva Era, Dumalneg, Carasi and Adams, it focuses on the ancient trade relations that Ilocanos had with the different tribes from the Cordilleras, whose culture and belief systems share many similarities.

Hagabi (prestige lounging bench)

A coffin with lizard design on lid

The two-story museum was inspired, conceptualized, put together and curated by Mr. Floy Quintos, a nationally renowned director and screenwriter, and designed by Ohm David, resident technical director of Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas.

Balog (trophy carabao skull)

Iugao bulul (rice god)

It is divided into seven sections – “In the Home in the Village,” “In the Fields,” “Symbols of the Masculine and the Feminine,” “Leadership and Wealth,” “Warfare, Headhunting and Vengeance,” “One with the Ancestors in Healing and in Death” and “A Continuance.”

Bontoc house detail (probably a hanger)

Ifugao percussion instruments

The glassed-in displays of authentic Ifugao ethnographic and historical items are on loan, many of which are from avid collectors like Gov. Imee Marcos. Visitors can also touch and inspect some artifacts, a feature that parents with inquisitive school-aged kids will appreciate.

Bontoc flat dish for meat

Baskets for gathering snails

Hinagit (trophy skull plaque)

Among the items on display are a tudoh, an Ifugao cursing object used only by accomplished shamans. Considered one of the most potent of vengeance rite paraphernalia, it uses a crocodile skull, a small wooden bulul figure and hawk’s wings lashed to a woven fiber plaque.

Tudoh (Ifugao cursing object)

The Wake of Malakai

There’s also a life-size reproduction of “The Wake of Malakai,” a leader of the Tingguian tribe. Above the figures is a display of blankets, wrap-around skirts and loincloths that indicate the great wealth of the deceased. It also wards off evil spirits that would have to count each thread of the textiles displayed before they could harm the deceased or his family.

Ifugao porcelain wine jar with woven cover

Ilongot machetes

Also on display are baskets, weapons (spears, shields, Kalinga and Bontoc head axes, Ilongot machetes, etc.), bululs (rice gods), wine jars, padao (territory markers), a balog (trophy carabao skull), a hinagit (trophy skull plaque), a granary door and a hagabi (prestige lounging bench).

Padao (territory marker)

Sagawsaw (wooden substitute head)

Walking through the museum, visitors get to form a fuller, more vibrant image of the connection shared between these geographical neighbors—one that exists up to this day.

Our guide Ken, Albert, Almira and Melissa

Provincial Tourism Office staff Ken with museum visitors Albert, Almira and Melissa Tinonas

Taoid Museum: Tabacalera Lifestyle Center, Gen. Luna cor. Llanes Sts., 2900 Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. Admission: PhP40 for adults and PhP30 for children aged 7-12 years old. Open daily, 8 AM – 5 PM.

Museo Ilocos Norte (Laoag City)

Posted on 22 March, 2016 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Museo Ilocos Norte

Also called the Laoag Museum and Gameng (an Iloco word meaning “treasure”), this impressive an snazzy lifestyle museum, managed by Gameng Foundation Inc., is located beside the city hall and a block away from the city plaza.

One of the better ethnographic museums in the country, it is housed in the restored former Spanish-era Camarin de Tobacco de la Tabacaler or tobacco storage house which was erected in 1878. Opened last December 31, 1999 by Gov. Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., it replaced the Ilocandia Museum of Traditional Culture which dates back to 1977.

At one corner of the museum is a 75 cm. excavation done by the National Museum on February 2004 exposing the different floor levels of the building.

National Museum archaeological excavation

This museum is divided into 15 main sections, each one narrating an aspect of the province’s history. The items are arranged by themes such as ‘The Land (Iti Tak-Dang),” “The Sea (Ti Baybay/Taaw),” ‘The Highland (Kabanbantayan Ken Tanap),” “The Farm (Ti Talon),” “The Market (Ti Tiendaan),” and “The Town (Ti Ili).”

The Highland (Kabanbantayan Ken Tanap)

The Market (Ti Tiendaan)

The Sea (Ti BaybayTaaw)

The Town (Ti Ili)

The Laud (West) Gallery displays a dap-ayan (meeting place) while the Daya (East) hallway describes the beginnings of Ilocos Norte.

Dap-Ayan

Ulnas ken karison (carabao-drawn sled and wagon)

At the Abatagan (South) end of the museum stands a replica of a typical, two-storey, fully-furnished bahay na bato (stone house, Ti Daan nga Balay) whose façade is based on the Lazo Residence in Bacarra.

Dining area

Sala (Living Area)

Bedroom

Kitchen

Weaving loom

Also on display are properly labeled samples of abel iloko and musical instruments such as the pito (bamboo flute), kulkulutong (bamboo zither), the ludag (log drum) and tangguyob (carabao horn).

Musical instruments

Teatro

A teatro (theater) for small groups has, behind the curtains, a monitor for a 15-minute video showing the musical traditions of the province.

Pugon

The museum’s West Gallery displays a typical pugon made with bamboo slats, mud, dried leaves and carabao dung. Derived from the Spanish word fogon meaning “furnace,” it is a structure where tobacco leaves are flue-cured.

Traditional Ilocano Clothing

A calesa

Also on display are a large collection of Ilocano, Igorot and Itneg traditional clothing; weapons; accessories, household utensils, calesas, ceremonial objects, an alang (Itneg house) and small furniture of the ethnic tribes of Northern Luzon. One room is dedicated to the late Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos.

An alang (Isneg House)

Ferdinand E. Marcos Exhibit

There is also a museum gift shop (Museo Sarusar Shop) selling travel guide books and the very best Ilocos Norte souvenirs (ref magnets, key chains, pottery, bags, baskets, shellcraft, woo carvings, etc.) and popular food products such as cornik and basi. Outside the museum is a dapil (sugar mill).

Museo Sarusar Shop

Ilocano food and souvenir products

A useful brochure in English comes with the ticket and everything is also well labeled in English. The visit is best done clockwise.

Dapil (Sugar Mill)

Museo Ilocos Norte: cor. Gen. A. Luna St. and Don Vicente Llanes Ave., Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 9 AM to 5 PM, and Sundays, 10 AM – 5 PM. Tel: (077) 770-4587. Website: www.museoilocosnorte.com. Admission: PhP50.

Ang Museo Ni San Juan Nepomuceno (San Juan, Batangas)

Posted on 27 February, 2016 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

Ang Museo Ni San Juan Nepomuceno

This church museum, inaugurated last October 2, 2015, is located at the second floor of the old parish convent built in 1894 by Recollect Father Celestino Yoldi.

The museum interior

The convent’s grand stairway

Prominently displayed here are a collection of images of saints (St. Mary Magdalene, St. Veronica, St. Martha, St. Salome, St. Peter, St. John the Evangelist, etc.) as well as statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Virgin of Sorrows, the Pieta, Christ Entry into Jerusalem, the Crowning of Thorns and the Risen Christ.

Collection of images of saints

It also houses a collection of old church artifacts, episcopal paraphernalia, ecclesiastical vestments (chasubles, stoles, etc.), , altar silver utensils (censer & boat, chalices, altar candle sticks, etc.), altar balusters, nails used in the construction of the old convent as well as pews and benches, and others.

Collection of old church artifacts

Vestments of priests

There’s also a collection of photos of the town’s church, old ancestral houses, assigned priests (under the Oblates of St. Joseph) and the town’s tourist attractions.

Museo Orlina (Tagaytay City, Cavite)

Posted on 30 December, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

Museo Orlina

On our way back to Manila with my son Jandy, friend Rainy Canillas and her daughters Tricia and Arianne, we noticed, from the main road, the sign for Museo Orlina and decided to make a stopover there.

Reception Area

The museum itself was hidden at the back, at the bottom of a short, but very intimidatingly steep and narrow road. Parking was not easy here. The museum is a just few meters across the Sta Rosa-Tagaytay road, near the rotunda. Landmarks are the Econo Hotel and the Balibago-Tagaytay jeepney terminal.

L-R: Arianne, Tricia, Rainy and Jandy

A showcase of the artistry of internationally-acclaimed and multi-awarded Ramon Orlina, the pioneer and foremost practitioner of glass sculpture in the country, Museo Orlina adds culture as part of Tagaytay City by exhibiting, to the delight and enchantment of art lovers and enthusiasts, superb and exultant body of works showcasing Ramon Orlina’s scintillating artistry.

An array of colorful glass sculptures

The museum had its soft opening last December 2013 and formally opened its doors to the public on April 9, 2014.

Arcanun XIX (Paradise Gained, 1976) – Orlina’s first glass sculpture

Ramon Orlina, an architect by profession, had a late calling to sculpture. The “Father of Philippine Glass Sculpture,” he is best known for his abstract glass sculptures that use angles, illusions, and the fine lines and colors.

Ecstasy II

Orlina transformed glass by elevating it, from beyond the humble origin of its utilitarian, industrial function (drinking vessels, window glass panes, automotive windshields, etc.), to the dignity and respectability of art, producing unique works that have dazzled the art scene and placed the Philippines in the International Art Map.

Burst of Sunflowers

Tribute to Frank Gehry

His unique art pieces, ranging from 4-digit prices to multi million pesos each (the prices, though stiff, were befitting the work of a world class artist), are coveted, both locally and internationally, by avid art enthusiasts, numerous collectors and industrial designers and now grace finer homes, offices, commercial establishments and respected art galleries.

Clear Impressions

Timeless Music

He is also a master in bronze sculptures and canvass pieces. His glass sculptures focused on slabs of thick, transparent glass with subdued colors (especially his hallmark deep green) and the glass is molded into some amazing shapes as well as some powerful moments.

Fountain of Hope

Radiant Streams

Orlina’s second museum, the first being at his ancestral home in Taal, Batangas (Casa Gahol), this 4-storey modern, glass and concrete, box-type building, on a cliff, faces the Tagaytay Ridge, affording visitors a lovely vista of the famed Taal Lake and Taal Volcano.

Anna Gallery

The building is divided into two and has a number of galleries (all named after the artist’s daughters) – Reflections & Naesa Gallery (Level 1, an exhibition area for up and coming artists), Ningning Gallery (Level 2) and Anna Gallery (Level 3).

Glass Cutlet Residual Glass

When visitors arrive, they are usually shown a short, 15-min. video introduction before going into the museum. It narrates how Orlina started this museum and how he himself got into glass sculpture and his other forms of creative works. We skipped this. Flash photography and video taking is prohibited. The staff was nice and friendly.

Graceful Undulations

Too bad Mr. Orlina was having an afternoon nap when we arrived (his office doubles as his bedroom when he pulls down his Murphy bed). It would have been nice to meet and talk with him as I appreciated, up close and personal, the masterpieces of this renowned and exceptionally talented artist.

Elevator

My exploration of the exhibits took one hour. or senior citizens, persons with disability and pregnant women, there’s an elevator going from floor to floor.

Startling Definitions

Imposing

All of Orlina’s artworks here are only for display, except for a room where artworks (most of which are Orlina’s works and some renowned artists), while on display, are also available for public auction.

Rich Harvest in Banawe

Sensuous Curves

The lovely and interesting glass sculptures on display, many placed along the windows fronting Taal Lake, are made in different colors and hues of glass and crystals (pink, yellow, orange) and each piece tells an interesting story.

Ininity II

Pastel Sunrise

The glass sculptures are interspersed with jewelry, art cars, chairs and photographs of the artist’s works abroad as well as pieces made from a variety of mediums such as bronze and wood.

Orlina Romantic Chair

The quite informative exhibits have nameplates and a short explanation of the art piece.

Virgen Maria

One of my favorites is the two dimensional glass sculpture of Virgen Maria, a woman’s head that looks different from various angles. From the back angle, if you look at the sculpture’s eyes, you are given the illusion that they follow and watch you as you move.

Quattro Mondial

The UST (Orlina is a University of Sto. Tomas Architecture graduate) quadricentennial sculpture, supposedly one of Orlina’s most expensive art works, displays bronze studies including a face bronze sculpture of Piolo Pascual, the artwork’s male model.

Piolo Pascual

Framed artworks, sketches and chairs from other renowned Philippine artists such as Juvenal Sanso, Elmer Borlongan, Ann Pamintuan, Bencab (Benedicto Cabrera), Federico Alcuaz, Napoleon Abueva and other Philippine art masters were also on exhibit.

Abueva Chair

Green and Yellow (Federico Aguilar Alcuaz)

The Art of Isabelo Tampinco, made possible by a loan to the museum from the collection of Ernie and Chichi Sales, was ongoing at the Reflections Gallery.

The Art of Isabelo Tampinco

Pres. Corazon Aquino

The roof deck, with its breathtaking view of Taal Volcano, has a coffee shop which was closed during my visit.

Coffee Shop

Stairs located at the back of the stage lead you to a garage where you will find a vintage, red and white Volkswagen Beetle, aptly called Sabel, which is rented out as a bridal car.

The garage

Fully-restored, and retrofitted and accessorized, it has a ref; champagne and glass holders; dividing in-door windows and leather seats; and its body is painted with artwork, inspired by the taong grasa (literally translated as “oily person,”- meaning “homeless and dirty”) by fellow Kapampangan and National Artist Benedicto Cabrera (Bencab).

The Volkswagen Beetle

There’s also a fully restored, vintage Volvo, owned and accessorized by Orlina, with an interesting cubist-abstract hue. Orlina’s signature colors of orange, green, white and blue are painted, in a Piet Mondrian-linear style, all over the car’s body.

The Volvo

At the ridge side is an amphitheater where plays, events, and other special occasions can be held for a fee.

The amphitheater

There’s also an outdoor Sculpture Garden with art piece installations. While, taking a leisurely walk through the exhibit, visitors can also enjoy the Tagaytay breeze and the ridge view.

The rear of the museum as seen from the Sculpture Garden

Outdoor sculpture at the Sculpture Garden

The quaint, clean and well-maintained Museo Orlina, a cultural indulgence where one may get to appreciate awesome art pieces and works from one of the country’s renowned artists, adds a certain refined and cultured option for Tagaytay visitors and weekend residents who are looking for something unique while enjoying the cooling breeze and lake vista.

View of Taal Lake and Volcano from the museum

Museo Orlina: Hollywood Subdivision Rd., Hollywood Subd., Brgy. Tolentino East, Tagaytay City, Santa Rosa – Tagaytay Rd., Tagaytay, Cavite. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 AM – 6 PM. Tel: (046) 413 2581. Mobile number: (0995) 735-4462. E-mail: info@museo-orlina.org. Website: www.museo-orlina.org. Admission (includes guided tour): general (PhP100), students and senior citizens with valid ID (PhP80. Manila office: Orlina Atelier. Tel: (02) 781-5918 and 781-9471. Fax: (02) 749-6439. Mobile number : (0917) 880-5108. E-mail: orlina@pldtdsl.net. Website : www.orlina.com.

Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery (Luna La Union)

Posted on 29 October, 2015 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery

Upon checking in and lunch at Sebay Surf Central Resort, we began our half day tour with Mr. Lawrence Fontanilla “Amar” Carbonell as our guide. We proceeded to the nearby town of Luna where we first visited the Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery, the newest tourist destination in Luna. Built way back in 2000, the attraction was originally just meant to be a family rest house for its owners, Dr. Edison and Dra. Purita Noble.

Bahay na Bato welcome sign

Gravel and flagstone pathway

Vong Kim (third from right) with media group

South Korean artist Kim (third from right) with media group

However, in 2014, Luna Mayor Marvin Marron saw the potential of this property as a tourist attraction, thinking that the house could attract visitors. Marron persuaded the owners to open the property to public and the municipal government extended help in the development of the new tourist spot, putting up promotional materials along the town’s major roads and helping in processing the registration of the site as a full-fledged tourist attraction.

Wooden entrance door

Lower level

Art-lined, gravel and flagstone hallway

The Bahay na Bato premises offers numerous stone carvings, masterpieces created by South Korean national Mr. Vong Kim, the in-house sculptor for the tourist site. Imelda Montison and Gloria Dizon, the rest house caretakers, and their families serve as the staff for the Bahay na Bato. Other residents were hired to serve as security and maintenance aides. Montison’s daughter, Beverly, who serves as the manager is married to Kim.

Stairway leading to second level

Author at the second level balcony

World War II canteens, mess kits and lamps

Second level

Luna’s shorelines are covered, not with fine sand, but with an unending supply of stones of various colors, shapes and sizes that seem to be replenished year by year, a mystery that has long baffled the community, some of whom believe that these stones are gifts from heaven. These stones are sold to become construction materials or garden ornaments.

Multi-colored pebble beach

Sun dial

Using handpicked stones, Kim, with a great deal of imagination, carved figures out of the stones and boulders and these creations are now displayed in the Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery. Kim also trained the local artisans on stone carving, a new way of making money out of these jewels for the locals who live near the beach area.

Shallow figure 8 swimming pool

Function hall

Cooking pavilion

Today, droves of tourists come here to visit this new attraction and its magnificent works of art. The local tourism office has recorded a staggering number of visitors. In December 2014, it registered more than 10,000 visitors, and another 7,800 for January 2015. On one corner, stone faces greet us with cryptic smiles while on the other, stones are piled according to size and color. Further on, we saw boulders shaped as turtles, fish, flowers, hearts and even phalluses.

Dragon head made with driftwood

Native-style gazebo

Dirty finger sculpture

The 2-storey main house by itself is not entirely built with stones as wood also encompasses the area surrounded by green trees that dance with the sound of the waves coming from the beach.. As we passed through the entrance, huge carved art stones welcomed us. The ground floor, with speckled, palm-size pebbles for flooring,has two private rooms, one facing the beach area and the other one facing the swimming pool area. The reception area has fabulous dining wood furniture.

Stone bridge

The “horny”” author

Carved stones, of various shapes and sizes, are cleverly placed along the hallway. The second level, with its panoramic view of the pebble beach and the lawn is surrounded by various carved stone artifacts, showcases World War II items such as kerosene lamps, charcoal iron, water canteens (kantina), carbide lamps, wooden trunks and stainless steel kitchen utensils .

Local artisan at work on a piece of driftwood

Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery: Brgy. Nalvo Norte, Luna, La Union. Open daily, 6 AM to 8 PM. Admission: PhP20.00 (kids below four years old are admitted in for free).

How to Get There: Luna is located 267.48 kms. from Manila and 34.8 kms. north of the City of San Fernando. Air conditioned buses from Dominion Bus Lines, Philippine Rabbit, Partas, Fariñas, Maria de Leon, and Viron depart from terminals in Manila that is bound for Ilocos. Destinations can either be La Union, Narvacan, Vigan, Laoag or Abra. Just tell the bus attendant that you are going to Luna.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (Bulacan)

Posted on 3 October, 2015 by Benjie Layug — 2 Comments ↓

Museum of the Malolos Republic

From the Museo Diocesano de Malolos, participants of the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) caravan moved on to next room which houses the Museum of the Malolos Republic. Here, we were welcomed by Mr. Jose Ruel Paguiligan of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and curator of the Barasoain Church Historical Landmark.

Members of AAP caravan listening to museum curator Mr. Jose Ruel Paguiligan

The modernized museum, one of 22 museums throughout the country that the Aquino administration wanted upgraded into digitally-enhanced institutions in order to advance historical studies, was finished in 2012. It is a rich source of historical data, including documents and artifacts explaining how the Malolos Congress was put together on September 15, 1898.

With the magic of modern technology, learning history lesson is now more fun and interesting. The upgraded museum was jointly funded by the NHCP and the Provincial Government of Bulacan headed by Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado.

It has five galleries, with the first two explaining the backdrop to the Malolos Congress to visitors. It boasts of interactive digital displays that allow students and other visitors to respond (however, it interacts only in Filipino) to a history quiz about the Philippine Revolution, making the presentation of history more interesting and, at the same time, more engaging.

It also includes an E-learning room (designed for students and equipped with 22 computers containing interactive lessons in Philippine history), research facilities and an audio-visual room. Permanent collections of the museum include the original carriage used by Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo during the opening of the Malolos Congress and reproductions of stereographic cards of the Philippine-American War.

Carriage used by Pres. Aguinaldo

Gallery 1, the ante room, presents a 7-minute video introducing the museum and the evolution of the idea of freedom and the struggle of Filipinos as a prologue. Gallery 2 traces the events leading to the establishment of the Malolos Congress namely the constitution of Biak-na-Bato, the proclamation of independence at Kawit, Cavite and the decrees of the revolutionary government headed by Gen. Aguinaldo.

Its two touch screen monitors display the historical overview of facts, from 1882 to 1899, and sources about the first Philippine Congress (headed by Pedro Paterno, it was convened on September 15, 1898 inside the Barasoain Church) and the events that preceded and followed it.

Gallery 3, at the main hall, and the smaller hall Gallery 4 focuses on Malolos, the Constitutional Congress; the Malolos Congress and the Constitution. Gallery 3 centers mostly on the downfall of the Spanish rule in the country and the succeeding events that led to the formation of the Constitución Política de la República Filipina.

L-R - Mariano Trias, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Pedro Paterno, Gregorio Araneta, Baldomero Aguinaldo, Benito Legardo and Pablo Ocampo

L-R: Mariano Trias, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Pedro Paterno, Gregorio Araneta, Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo (seated), Baldomero Aguinaldo, Benito Legardoaand Pablo Ocampo

It also offers a 7-minute light-and-sound presentation, with a diorama with life-size resin statues of the leading figures and prominent delegates of the Malolos Congress – a sitting Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the First Philippine Republic, flanked by key figures of the Malolos Congress. A pew, which is said to have been used during the actual convention of the revolutionary congress, can also be found in this particular exhibit.

List of the names of all the representatives who joined the Congress

In Gallery 4 is a list of the names of all the representatives who joined the Congress. There were 193 delegates, none of whom were paid for their work. Only 42 were elected while the rest were appointed. The gallery also has a bust of Don Felipe G. Calderon, who penned the Malolos Constitution.

Bust of Felipe Calderon

Gallery 5 provides the epilogue and dwells on the theme—Defense of the Republic—by featuring how Filipinos went to war against a new colonizer, the United States of America to defend the republic and the freedom and sovereignty of the people.

Museum of the Malolos Republic: Barasoain Convent, Paseo del Congreso Road, Brgy. San Gabriel, Malolos City, Bulacan.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City. Tel: (632) 655-5889. Fax: (632) 655-1878. E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Museo Diocesano de Malolos (Malolos City, Bulacan)

Posted on 3 October, 2015 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

AAP at the Museo Diocesano de Malolos

From Ciudad Victoria, our 14-car Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) caravan proceeded on the second leg of our day-long tour, this time to Malolos City, the provincial capitol, where we made a stopover at historic Barasoain Church.

At the convent, we first visited the Museo Diocesano de Malolos, a museum managed by the Malolos Diocese. It houses relics, artifacts, regalia and religious items containing and illustrating the ecclesiastical history of Central Luzon.

The exhibits include the original nineteenth century baptismal records of Bulacan native sons Marcelo Hilario (the Great Propagandist also known as Marcelo H. del Pilar), Francisco Baltazar (he Tagalog equivalent of William Shakespeare also known as Francisco Balagtas) and Gen. Gregorio del Pilar (the “Leonidas of the Philippines”).

Robes of priests embroidered with gold-plated silver threads

Replica of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church in Manila

Statues of the Holy Family and processional crucifixes

Statues of the Holy Family, candle stands and a processional crucifix

There’s also a bone fragment of St. Vincent Ferrer encased in glass; priestly robes embroidered with gold-plated silver threads; a Sto. Entierro (meaning “Holy Burial”); a replica of the Black Nazarene from Quiapo Church; and antique prayer cards, church bells, religious statues, candle stands, processional crucifixes and antependiums (altar frontals) from different churches.

Altar frontals

Antique church bells

Sto. Entierro

Museo Diocesano de Malolos: Barasoain Convent, Malolos City, Bulacan. Director: Fr. Vicente Lina Jr.. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8 AM to 4 PM.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City. Tel: (632) 655-5889. Fax: (632) 655-1878. E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is also a copy editor for two publishing houses; travel writer; blogger; architectural historian; author; concert. movie and musical reviewer (for www.pep.ph); and a motivational speaker.

As a free-lance travel writer, he has, in the past, contributed articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day and Bluprint. He currently writes for Artplus Magazine and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.