Intramuros
Intramuros | |
|---|---|
District | |
Clockwise, from top left: Intramuros skyline, Baluarte de San Diego, Baluartillo de San Jose, Manila Cathedral, Fort Santiago, Tranvía, Ayuntamiento de Manila | |
| Nicknames: Old Manila; the Walled City | |
| Motto(s): Insigne y siempre leal Distinguished and ever loyal | |
 Interactive map of Intramuros | |
_location_map.svg)  Intramuros Location within Manila | |
| Coordinates: 14°35′29″N 120°58′25″E / 14.59147°N 120.97356°E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | National Capital Region |
| City | Manila |
| Congressional District | 5th District of Manila |
| Barangays | 5 |
| Settled | June 12, 1571 |
| Founded by | Miguel López de Legazpi |
| Government | |
| • Intramuros Administration | Atty. Joan M. Padilla |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.67 km2 (0.26 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 7,437 |
| • Density | 11,000/km2 (29,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+08:00 (Philippine Standard Time) |
| Zip codes | 1002 |
| Area codes | 2 |
| Website | intramuros |
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Intramuros (lit. 'within the walls' or 'inside the walls' in spanish) is the 0.67-square-kilometer (0.26 sq mi) historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila.[3]
Intramuros comprises a centuries-old historic district, entirely surrounded by fortifications, that was considered at the time of the Spanish Empire to be the entire City of Manila. Other towns and arrabales (suburbs) located beyond the walls that are now districts of Manila were referred to as extramuros, Spanish for "outside the walls",[4][5] and were independent towns that were only incorporated into the city of Manila during the early 20th century.
Intramuros served as the seat of government of the Captaincy General of the Philippines, a component realm of the Spanish Empire, housing the colony's governor-general from its founding in 1571 until 1865, and the Real Audiencia of Manila until the end of Spanish rule during the Philippine Revolution of 1898. The walled city was also considered the religious and educational center of the Spanish East Indies.[6] Intramuros was also an economic center as the Asian hub of the Manila galleon trade, carrying goods to and from Acapulco in what is now Mexico.
During the early 20th century, under the administration of American colonial authorities, land reclamation and the construction of the Manila South Port subsequently moved the coastline westward and obscured the walls and fort from the bay, while the moat surrounding the fortifications was drained and turned into a recreational golf course. The Battle of Manila in 1945 during World War II entirely flattened Intramuros. Though reconstruction efforts began immediately after the war, many of its original landmarks are still lost today; under the Intramuros Administration, Intramuros is still in the process of postwar reconstruction and revival of its cultural heritage.
While Intramuros is no longer the seat of the contemporary Philippine government, several Philippine government agencies are headquartered in Intramuros. Moreover, Intramuros remains a significant educational center as part of the city's University Belt. Several offices of the Philippine Catholic Church are also found in the district.
Intramuros was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1951. The fortifications of Intramuros were declared National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines, owing to its historic and cultural significance.[7] San Agustín Church, one of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the entry Baroque Churches of the Philippines, is located within the walled district. Intramuros and other historical sites in Manila are currently being proposed by the UNESCO Philippine National Commission to the country's tentative list for future UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription as The Walled City and Historic Monuments of Manila.[8]
History
[edit]Pre-Hispanic period
[edit]The strategic location of Manila along the bay and at the mouth of the Pasig River made it an ideal location for the Tagalog tribes and kingdoms to trade with merchants from what would be today's China, India, Borneo, and Indonesia. The prehistoric polity of Maynila was located where Intramuros would be built.[9]
In 1564, Spanish explorers led by Miguel López de Legazpi sailed from New Spain, now Mexico, and arrived on the island of Cebu in April 1565, establishing the first Spanish capitania in the Philippines.[10] Having heard from the natives about the rich resources in Maynila, Legazpi dispatched two of his lieutenant-commanders, Martín de Goiti and Juan de Salcedo, to explore the island of Luzon.
The Spaniards arrived on the island of Luzon in 1570. After quarrels and misunderstandings between the Muslim natives and the Spaniards, they fought for control of the land and settlements. After several months of warfare the natives were defeated, and the Spaniards made a peace pact with the councils of Rajah Sulaiman III, Lakan Dula, and Rajah Matanda who handed over the city to the Spaniards.
Spanish colonial period (1571–1898)
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Legazpi declared the area of Manila as the new capital of the Spanish colony on June 24, 1571, because of its strategic location and rich resources. He also proclaimed the sovereignty of the Monarchy of Spain over the whole archipelago. King Philip II of Spain delighted at the new conquest achieved by Legazpi and his men, awarding the city a coat of arms and declaring it as: Ciudad Insigne y Siempre Leal (English: "Distinguished and Ever Loyal City"). It was settled and became the political, military, and religious center of the Spanish Empire in Asia.
