Taal Basilica - Batangas

Standing 315 feet long and 148 feet high, Taal Basilica is the biggest church in the whole of Asia. It is located in Calle San Martin in the heritage town of Taal in Batangas. Also known as Basilica de San Martin de Tours it was named after their patron saint, St. Martin of Tours.

Taal Basilica

Taal Basilica details

The original church structure was built in 1575 under the supervision of Fr. Diego Espina in the area that is now San Nicolas. However, it was destroyed in 1754 during the largest eruption of the Taal Volcano. The ruins of the first church can still be seen in San Nicholas.  The church was damaged over and over again by powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The present church is actually the third church of Taal. 

Taal Basilica - Taal, Batangas

The second church was erected further away from the volcano but was still destroyed during the devastating earthquake of 1852. The present church was constructed in 1856 and was inaugurated in 1865.

Taal Basilica interior as seen from the entrance

The interior Taal Basilica

The altar of Taal Basilica

The Backpack Adventures visits Taal Basilica

Aside from its massive size, Taal Basilica is also known for one other "large" object. The King of Bells is an enormous bell measuring 6.42 feet tall and 19 feet in circumference. Sadly, the 1942 earthquake damaged and silenced it to the present day. 

Taal Basilica's giant bell

Another angle of the bell of Taal Basilica

During my first visit to Taal Basilica, it didn't actually occur to me that the establishment in front of me was actually a basilica. At first glance, I thought it was an old European-looking school or something. Not until I entered it, that I finally realized that it was actually a very large church. During that trip, I learned from a local that visitors could climb up to the bell tower located at the highest part of the basilica. Wistfully, my friend has a knee problem, so we dished out the idea of going to the top. I waited another year before finally being able to climb to the top part of the basilica. This time I was with my wife and siblings. 

Passageway going up the top of Taal Basilica

Team Nicerio visits Taal Basilica

The view from the top was really magnificent. You will see the 360-degree view of the town of Taal and also parts of the town of San Nicolas and Taal Lake. From there, you could literally view everything in a bird's eye view. No wonder, the revolutionaries sometimes use the church as a watchtower against the Spanish forces.

Here's what you'll see from the top.

I managed to revisit Taal Basilica during the 2017 outbound tour of our school. This time we were not able to go up the tower but we managed to tour its museum. 

Here are some photos of the things that we saw in Taal Basilica's museum:

That bamboo is the Spanish-era doorbell. It creates a whistling sound when turned

Do I have to caption this?

This one is used in processions

Some very old wooden statues

Some very old furniture and mirrors

Can you guess what these are for?

An old bell and lamp

A beautifully carved wood design

A dimly lit room with plenty of antique furniture (creepy)

The museum's sala

Look what I've found in the San Agustin Museum in Manila!

Taal Basilica

Taal Basilica Entrance Fee

It's FREE to enter Taal Basilica and its grounds. However, you need to pay 100 pesos to enter the museum area.

Taal Basilica Mass Schedule

Monday - Friday: 7AM - 8AM

Saturday: 7AM- 8AM / 5PM - 6PM

Sunday: 7:30AM - 8:30AM / 9:30AM - 10:30 AM / 5PM - 6PM

Why visit Taal Basilica?

Taal Basilica remains to be one of my favorite Spanish Colonial Era churches in the Philippines. It's a must-visit if you are on a pilgrimage or Visita Iglesia in the province of Batangas. You will surely fall in love with it too when you see it with your own eyes.

Getting to Taal Basilica:

From Buendia in Pasay City, board a bus bound for Lemery Batangas. Most buses pass through the town proper. It's safer to ask the conductor first before boarding. In case the bus won't pass through Taal, alight at the Taal-Lemery junction. From there, jeepneys and tricycles would bring you to your destination.

Ratings:

Pilgrims

Cleanliness

Overall Ratings