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| The stunning facade of the Quiapo Church. |
Others call this church the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, canonically known as Saint John the Baptist Parish, and it is one of the most famous churches in the Philippines. The first structure was made of bamboo and nipa palm and built by the Franciscan Missionaries. But in 1574, the pirates, led by Limahong, destroyed and burned the church. In 1588, Fr. Antonio de Nombella, a Franciscan friar, founded this church and declared it as the Parish of St. John the Baptist. It was again burned in 1603 and taken over by the “Society of Jesus” or the Jesuits. In 1686, the full construction was started initiated by Gov. Gen. Santiago de Vera.
In 1762, the English attempted to destroy this church. Later, it was destroyed by an earthquake and then caught by fire. Donations and contributions were collected for the construction of the new church. The structure that we see today was planned by the Filipino National Artist, Architect Juan Nakpil in 1933. However, it was enlarged, and the design of the walls of Quiapo Church was changed by Architect Jose Maria Zaragoza in 1984.
Today, this church has Baroque designs. The facade has columns on both sides and well-decorated two bell towers. A lot of renovations were made to the structure, but the facade and the dome were retained with the classic design. In surrounding areas, shops of different kinds can be found.