Known as the oldest church in the Philippines and one of the four baroque Philippine churches classified by UNESCO, the San Agustin Church holds its ground toughly despite its age in the historic walled city of Intramuros.

Located at Manila, Philippines, the San Agustin Church is labeled as a historical landmark. Founded in the year 1571 and was later completed in January 19, 1607 after several attempts for its construction, the San Agustin Church surprisingly managed to survive storms, sieges, wars and most especially, a series of strong earthquakes that left a widespread destruction to Manila. On July 1800’s earthquake incident, the San Agustin Church’s east bell tower was left with an unfortunate large crack, which led to its permanent removal and leaving only its base. The church also served as a hospital for the injured aftermath.

It is also worth noting that the church is also the lone survivor of World War II. Its dome ceiling is intricately painted with a special feature: a three-dimensional illusion. It can be tricky to spot at first as many would think that it’s a sculpted part of the church’s interior, and lastly, the church is also the burial site of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Spanish governor of the Philippines and the founder of Manila.

The San Augustin Church also has a museum with it, where visitors can learn more about the historic church’s long and old past, and make time to visit the Philippines’ oldest church when exploring all parts of the walled city!