History of the Taal Basilica

The original town of Taal was founded by Augustinian missionaries in 1572 on the banks of
the Taal Lake (where the municipality of San Nicolas now lies). Fr. Diego Espinar led the
construction of the town’s very first church in 1575. In almost two centuries, the church continued to
improve and was rebuilt only to be utterly destroyed in 1754 after the biggest explosion of nearby Taal
Volcano. It wasn’t just the church, though, as the whole town of old Taal was so devastated.
The town moved to its current location, on top of a hill overlooking Balayan Bay. In 1755, the
construction of a new church was launched under Fr. Martin Aguirre. Over several decades, new
elements and features were added for the beautification of the church. However, on September 16,
1852, tragedy struck yet again. A massive earthquake hit the province and destroyed the church.

Four years after the catastrophe, another church was built at the same site under Fr. Marcos
Anton, who commissioned architect Luciano Oliver to create the design and run the construction. In
1865, almost a decade later, the newly erected church was inaugurated despite its unfinished state. The
construction was finally completed in 1878 with the addition of its gigantic 79 ft altar under the
supervision of Fr. Agapito Aparicio. It was a massive church, the biggest at the time and would
remain the biggest even centuries later.
On January 16, 1974, it was declared as one of the country’s National Shrines.

Façade and interiors

The Basilica of St. Martin of Tours, designed by the famed Spanish architect Don Luciano
Oliver, stands 95 meters long and 45 meters wide on a plateau in the heart of Taal. The adobe stone
slabs which make up the whole structure were dug up in a nearby barrio and painstakingly carried by
menfolk on an uphill climb to the church site. When household duties were done, the women and
children also helped carry sand in their aprons and handkerchiefs from the seashore to the place of
construction. This massive structure of stone was held together by lime and not cement. It has
withstood the onslaught of the elements within a period of more than 100 years, rebuilt in 1850′s. The
structure took shape in the period of 10 years.
The façade resembles St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, with its Ionic columns. The original
ceiling was painted by Giovanni Dibella, one of two Italian artists who painted the ceiling of San
Agustin Church. The style is trompel ’oeil or “trick of the eye ” which gives a 3-dimensional effect. Its
tabernacle is made of silver, the only one of its kind in the Philippines. It was declared as a national
shrine on January 16, 1974.
Originally built in an area that is now San Nicolas town in 1575, the basilica was destroyed in
the 1754 eruption of Taal volcano. It was built in its present location in 1755 by the Augustinian
missionaries and was damaged anew in an 1849 earthquake. Rebuilt from 1856 to 1865 during the time
of the parish priest Fray Marcos Anton.
San Martin de Tours is a baroque style basilica built in the 18th century. Covering a little less
than half a hectare of ground area, it still stands majestically today and is considered the oldest and
largest church in the Orient. A steep and narrow passageway through its belfry grants visitors a grand
view from the church’s rooftop.