Vigan Cathedral: St. Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral

Vigan Cathedral is also called St. Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral.  It is found at the heart of Vigan, Ilocos Sur.  It is considered as a major religious landmark in the North Luzon.

I just love visiting churches.  Each church is unique and details are sophisticated too.  

The Vigan Cathedral is a Baroch-styled cathedral with neo-gothic and psuedo romanesque motifs.  
The moldings on its facade and the brass communion rails give hints of the Chinese influence in its interior design and architecture.

Bell Tower of Vigan Church

The Bell Tower is not attached to the church itself and is instead found in Plaza Burgos, 10 meters from the south of Vigan Cathedral.   It is about 25 meters high.

The Vigan Cathedral was first built in 1574 by Spaniard Juan de Salcedo.  After it was damages by earthquake in 1619 and 1627, it was reconstructed in 1641.  In 1739, it was damaged by fire.  And, in 1790 it was again reconstructed and finished in 1800 to its current structure. It still contained most of the original features of the church interior.  It has not thick walls to withstand earthquakes and typhoons.  When the seat of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia was transferred from Cagayan to Vigan, it became a cathedral.

The Vigan Cathedral has twelve altars with hammered-silver panels, three naves, and a choir loft.
As it is a religious town, the church is packed on a Sunday.  

Vigan Cathedral Tabernacle

Overall, we Travel Tripsters were awed by the magnifiscent structure of the Vigan Cathedral.  This divine place is a great place to appreciate the history, religion and culture of the locals. 

Vigan Cathedral (St. Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral)
Address	Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
Budget Per Person	FREE	Vigan Cathedral Map
Payment Options
Operating Hours
Reservation Required
Contact

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Crisologo Museum: Floro S. Crisologo Private Memorabilia

The Crisologo Museum is also called Vigan House or the Vigan National Museum Branch.  It is found along De Los Reyes Street in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. 

The entrance is free but you are encouraged to donate for its preservation.

The Crisologo Museum is a century-old mansion and ancestral home of the Crisologos.   It was converted into a private museum by his family so that the life and death of Floro S. Crisologo will never be forgotten.  The Crisologos are one of the principal families is of Vigan and a prominent political clan.

The Crisologo Museum is a 2-storey mansion with thick bricked foundation for the ground floor.  Its window are made of iron and steel grills.  While, the second floor is made of concrete and hardwood and has colintipay windows.  The structure is typical for a house in Vigan.

Floro S. Crisologo was the patriarch of the clan.  He is a  congressman who authored landmark legislations that benefited the whole country which includes the creation the University of Northern Philippines, the very first state university in Luzon and the establishment of the Social Security System, which is still serving the general public today. 


In October 18, 1970, Floro S. Crisologo was shot in the head by an unidentified gunman while standing inside the communion line inside the St. Paul’s Cathedral.  His assasination still remains an unsolve mystery until today.   But it was believed that it was politically motivated since at that time, he was in the process of having a bill approved to abolish the death penalty because he believed that death was not the solution to stopping crime. 

Inside were lots of antiques, memorabilia, medals and even clothes and other prized possession of the Crisologo family.   There were also items and articls related to his murder which looks to gruesome for me to display here.

You can view how they lived since they kept everything even the old photographs and furnitures in place.

The library had the distinguishing smell of old book pages. 

Chevy of the Crisologos

Governor Carmeling Crisologo, wife of Floro Crisologo, was ambushed in this Chevy on May 10, 1961 at Bacsil, San Juan, Ilocos Sur.  She was able to survive it.  There's a bullet hole in the side by its door.

Old Calesa

Hats

I've never seen so many hats.  They occupied the walls along the staircase.

Master's Bedroom

The Master's Bedroom is filled with religious artifacts which led me to conclude that they are a religious family.

Carmeling's Dresses

Vicente "Bingbong" Crisologo's Room

Vicente "Bingbong" Crisologo is the son of Floro and Carmeling Crisologo who is the incumbent Congressman of the 1st Congressional District of Quezon City.

Overall, we Travel Tripsters enjoyed our tour at the eerie and insightful Crisologo Museum.  We highly suggest that you drop by when in Vigan.  Leave a tip too.  The place could use the funds for its preservation.

Crisologo Museum
Address	De Los Reyes Street in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
Budget Per Person	FREE (Donations Encouraged)	Crisologo Museum Map
Payment Options
Operating Hours	Monday to Sunday: (even holidays) 8:30 am-11:30am 1:30 pm-4:30 pm
Reservation Required	No
Contact	(632) 434-4343
Other
Transportation	Tricycle, Calesa
Commute Guide

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