Cathedral of Lipa - Batangas

Located in Lipa City in the province of Batangas, the Cathedral of Lipa is a combination of a religious and artistic beauty.  Also known as San Sebastian Cathedral. It was constructed sometime in the 17th century only to be completed almost a century later. 

Cathedral of Lipa /San Sebastian Cathedral

Due to its massive size, the church was prone to earthquake damage. To protect the church, it was constructed using hewn stones and tiled roofs. Strong beams and supports crisscrossed its walls to fully support its structures. 

This is how the church looked like centuries ago. (gutenberg.org)

American Army wagons camp in the park in front of the church

However, during the Second World War, the cathedral suffered massive damages. Reconstruction began around the 1950s.

One of the "treasures" of the church is its grand pipe organ which is built in a baroque style. The pipe is unique, or let's say rare because there are only 59 of its kind found in the Philippines.

I made it a point to add the cathedral in our itinerary in our annual Visita Iglesia. I was really expecting to take hundreds of photos of this picturesque church. The day before the visit, I fully charged my camera and googled the details about the church. However, I forgot that the day visit falls on Easter Sunday. 

The artistically painted ceiling

When we arrived at the cathedral it was really jam-packed. I managed to take several pictures of the interior but gave up due to the fact that it was really impossible to maneuver and shoot while surrounded by hundreds of devotees. A time came that we had to move to a new destination. I took some final shots of the facade before leaving and luckily I got the shot that I really wanted. 

Time to go inside the church!

What do you think does this mean?

My fave shot of the church (minus the cars)

Check out what I saw in the San Agustin Museum in Manila

If you love taking pictures of infrastructures, especially churches. I highly recommend the Cathedral of Lipa. Aside from its beautiful facade, you won't fail to notice its stand out the interior, altar, and ceiling. Time to charge your cameras and head to the Cathedral of Lipa !!!

Getting to Cathedral of Lipa:

From Manila board a bus heading to Batangas City. 
You may also ride a bus with a sign that says Lipa-Tanauan. You can get off at the Lipa bus stop, where you could ride a tricycle to your prefered destination in the city.

In case you rode a bus that pass by Star Tollway, board down at Tambo Exit. Then ride a jeepney to your preferred location.

Ratings:

Crowd

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