San Nicolas De Tolentino Parish

One of the oldest churches in the country and often underappreciated, the San Nicolas Church was built
in 1584! The San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church (located along C. Padilla Street) was built in honor
of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, Italy (born c. 1246 - September 10, 1305), the patron saint of the souls in
Purgatory. When Miguel López de Legazpi was commissioned by Spain to lead an expedition to the
Philippines, he landed in Cebu island and established a settlement at the exact place where the San
Nicolas Church stands today. The area is also considered the original site of the landing of Legaspi’s
armada on April 17, 1565. Legaspi named his settlement Cebu Viejo, separated from the ciudad by the
Pagina creek and El Pardo. Legaspi built the San Nicolas Church 19 years after he arrived there and the
Parish Church became the centerpiece of his little town. San Nicolas was a vibrant town during the
Spanish Period, the spawning ground for the Revolution against Spain in 1898 (one of the revolutionaries
who died was Candido Padilla). The town eventually merged with Cebu City on April 17, 1901.San
Nicholas parish considered one of the oldest in Cebu. The church itself was a victim of war during
Spanish American era. It was burned to the ground when the Spanish recaptured Cebu after the Battle of
Tres de Abril in 1898 even survived WW2 but eventually demolished in the late 40s to 50s. Only
perimeter fence is left.

Basílica Menor del Santo Niño de Cebú

The Basílica Menor del Santo Niño de Cebú (Minor Basilica of the Holy Child of Cebú), commonly
known as Santo Niño Basilica, is a basilica in Cebu City in the Philippines that was founded in 1565 by
Fray Andrés de Urdaneta and Fray Diego de Herrera. It is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the
country, allegedly built on the spot where the image of the Santo Niño de Cebú was found during the
expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi. This image of the Child Jesus is the same presented by
Ferdinand Magellan to the chief consort of Rajah Humabon on the occasion of their royal Baptism to
Roman Catholicism on 14 April 1521. The image was found by a soldier named Juan de Camuz forty
years later, preserved in a wooden box, after Legazpi had razed a local village.[1] When Pope Paul VI
made the church a basilica in 1965, he declared it to be "the symbol of the birth and growth of Christianity
in the Philippines." The present building was completed from 1739–1740, and was designated by the Holy
See as the "Mother and Head of all Churches in the Philippines".

Magellan’s Cross
The Magellan Cross history traces its roots back to 1521 when the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand
Magellan set his foot in Cebu. He befriended the locals and the native chief Rajah Humabon. Rajah
Humabon, his wife and hundreds of his native warriors were baptized as they agreed to accept
Christianity. On April 21, 1521, Magellan planted a cross to signify this important event about the
propagation of the Roman Catholic faith in Cebu. The story goes that during the olden times, people used
to believe that the cross had miraculous healing powers so they started chipping it away or getting a piece
for themselves. That is why the original cross is encased in another wooden cross for protection. This
prompted the government officials to encase it in tindalo wood and secure it inside a small chapel called
“kiosk.” However, there are also stories that the original cross was actually destroyed. The Magellan cross
displayed here is said to be a replica of such a cross. It is housed in a small chapel located in front of the
present city hall of Cebu, along Magallanes Street (named in honor of Magellan). According to the etched
plaque at the base of Cross ni Magellan, the original crucifix planted in 1521 is encased in the wooden
cross that is displayed. This is one of the most interesting facts about Magellan’s Cross.
Fort San Pedro Cebu
Fort San Pedro Cebu was built by the Spaniards under the command of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the
first Governor-General of the Philippines. The original Cebu fort built right after the arrival of Legazpi was
made of wood. It was then replaced in the 17th century with a stone fort to drive Muslim raiders away. At
the end of the 19th century during the Philippine Revolution, the fort was attacked and taken by the
Filipino Revolutionaries who used it as a stronghold. Another interesting fact about the fort is that its
shape is triangular: two sides facing the sea and the third side facing the land. The two sides facing the
sea were protected with cannons and the front with a strong fence made of wood.

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, officially known as the Metropolitan Cathedral and Parish of Saint
Vitalis and of the Immaculate Conception (dedicated to Mary, under her title, Our Lady of the
Immaculate Conception and to Saint Vitalis of Milan), is the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Cebu in Cebu, Philippines. Cebu was established as a diocese on August 14, 1595. It was
elevated as a metropolitan archdiocese on April 28, 1934, with the dioceses of Dumaguete, Maasin,
Tagbilaran, and Talibon as suffragans. Before being raised as a primatial church in Cebu, the church was
one of the first churches in the Philippines (besides the Basilica del Santo Niño) dedicated to St. Vitalis
and built near the fort in April 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, Fray Andrés de Urdaneta and Fray
Diego de Herrera. Construction of the cathedral took many years due to frequent interruptions, brought
about by lack of funds and other unexpected events.At one time, funds meant for the building of the
cathedral were diverted to the Moro wars. The death of an incumbent bishop who spearheaded the
construction/reconstruction and vacancies in the office were also factors.
The architecture of the church is typical of Spanish colonial churches in the country, namely, squat and
with thick walls to withstand typhoons and other natural calamities. The facade features a trefoil-shaped
pediment, which is decorated with carved relieves of floral motifs, an IHS inscription and a pair of griffins.
The Spanish Royal Coat of Arms is emblazoned in low relief above the main entrance, reflecting perhaps
the contribution of the Spanish monarch to its construction. During World War II, much of the cathedral
was destroyed by Allied bombings of the city. Only the belfry (built in 1835), the façade, and the walls
remained. It was quickly rebuilt in the 1950s under the supervision of architect Jose Ma. Zaragosa,during
the incumbency of Archbishop Gabriel Reyes. In 1982, a mausoleum was built at the back of the sacristy
at the initiation of Archbishop Julio Cardinal Rosales. It serves as a final resting place for the remains of
Cebu's bishops and clergy. Cardinal Rosales, who died three months after inauguration of the
mausoleum, is interred there along with Archbishop Manuel Salvador, a coadjutor archbishop of Cebu,
Archbishop Mariano Gaviola, the archbishop of Lipa (1981–1993), and most recently, Cardinal Rosales'
successor, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. The remains of Bishop Juan Bautista Gorordo, the first Filipino and
Cebuano bishop of Cebu, are also interred there.

Colon Street, Cebu

Colon Street (Cebuano: Dalan Colon; Tagalog: [koˈlɔn]; is a historical street in downtown Cebu City that
is often called the oldest and the shortest national road in the Philippines. It is named after Cristóbal
Colón (Christopher Columbus). It traces its origins to the town plan by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the
Spanish conquistador who arrived in the Philippines to establish a colony in 1565.Colon street was once
owned by the family name of Fronteras. Colon, crowded and a bit run-down now, was the site of
fashionable shops, offices, and movie houses. It was once the heart oy's shopping and business activity,
but in recent years (specifically during the early 1990s), much of this activity has shifted inland to the
more modern, bigger and diverse commercial and business districts now spread in almost all of the urban
areas of the city in what was considered residential and leisure settlements. In 2006, the Cebu City
Council proposed a plan to close parts of Colon street from vehicular traffic and convert it to a tourism
zone.However, this was met with much opposition from businessmen and motorists due to concerns
regarding security and parking spaces.