Intramuros Learning Sessions episode no. 26



Overview

This presentation gives an overview the Santo Domingo Church and Convent, the motherhouse of Dominican Province of Santisimo del Rosario in Asia during Spanish period until 1972. It was founded in 1587 when a group of Spanish Dominicans arrived in the Philippines from Mexico. It is a history of construction and destruction, as each completed structure eventually succumbed to disasters, only to be rebuilt again and again, but bigger and stronger than the one preceding it. From the first, humble structure built from bamboo, wood and nipa, it eventually became the second largest church in Intramuros, upon the completion of the fifth structure, a neo-gothic church of brick and stone. The convent and church was also renowned for the image of Our Lady of the Rosary, which the Dominicans brought with them in 1587. Another image was commissioned by Governor-General Luis Perez Dasmariñas around 1593. The ivory image was subsequently referred to as La Naval, in commemoration of the Spaniards’ victory in the naval battles of 1644, which was attributed to the miraculous intervention of Our Lady. The La Naval and Good Friday processions drew people to the Dominican Church in Intramuros, until it was bombed in 1941.


  • Guest speaker: Romeo Galang
  • Moderator: Rancho Arcilla

About the Speaker: Romeo Galang

Romeo Galang is a historian. He has an MA in Art History from the University of the Philippines – Diliman where he is also finishing his current Ph.D. studies.

Prof. Galang currently teaches history at the Far Eastern University. He is the author of A Cultural History of Santo Domingo (UST Publishing House, 2013), and has contributed many papers in prestigious scientific journals locally and abroad.


About the Intramuros Learning Sessions

The Intramuros Learning Sessions (ILS) is the educational webinar series of the Intramuros Administration (IA). The IA is an attached national government agency under the Department of Tourism. 

Topics are interdisciplinary and cover themes related to Intramuros and Manila studies, Philippine studies, as well as cultural heritage studies. Pursuant to IA’s charter, the ILS aims to contribute to the strengthening of the Filipino’s national identity and sense of belonging and pride.

For inquiries contact us at [email protected]


See Previous ILS Episode
A Re-Assessment of Intramuros Architecture
See Next ILS Episode
Letania: Architectural Documentation of San Agustin Church Retablos

Check out our previous ILS episodes here


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