Chapter III
Local Buroque - Morong Church.
The facade of Morong Church shows the local elaboration of the Baroque. This
church is regarded as the most outstanding example of Baroque architecture in Luzon.
It is situated on high ground, about ten varas higher than the elevation of the town.
The first church on the site was burned in 1612. It was rebuilt in 1615 under the
direction of Sangley maestro de obras. The floor covers an area of about thirty-eight
meters by ten meters.
About the middle of the 19th century, the facade was rebuilt with a stronger base
and thicker wall in order to carry the belfry at the crest. A separate tower was ruled out,
since there is not enough space in the premises.
This facade has three stories. Its face is of the receding type: the cornices and
balustrades of the first and second stories fit into the curved recession. Up to the third
story, the central zone is framed by pairs of Tuscan pillars. At the outer edges of the
recessed part are single pillars. The third story is surmounted by a curved pediment with
a frieze of carved ornaments of six-petalled flowers common in Chinese as well as in
Byzantine-Romanesque designs. From the cornice of the third story, the balustrades on
both sides elope halfway down and are terminated by ornamental urns. These urns
served for lighting purposes during the 19th century.
The convent abuts the church's southeast side. The whole structure acts as a
buttress. The facade itself has its own buttresses that rise as high as the first story.
Above the main portal is the pat of arms of St. Jerome. According to Huerta, the niche
on the third story contained a finely sculptured figure of the patron saint; this niche was
however converted into a window. The belfry at the rest of the facade is hexagonal in
plan, and with a hexagonal cupola.
(Fig. 141).
Huerta, who was well-versed with the true Spanish Baroque, referred to the
architecture of this church as de estilo compuesto.
There is not a single twisted column detail in the interior nor in the exterior of the
church. The twisted column is an inseparable item of the Baroque style. But the facade
has the elaboration of the style. We might call it the Laguna de Bay Baroque,
The man who executed this facade was Miguel or Bartolome Palatino, a master
builder of Paete, Laguna. Paete is the town in Laguna renowned for its wood carvers.
Local Buroque - Morong Church.
The facade of Morong Church shows the local elaboration of the Baroque. This
church is regarded as the most outstanding example of Baroque architecture in Luzon.
It is situated on high ground, about ten varas higher than the elevation of the town.
The first church on the site was burned in 1612. It was rebuilt in 1615 under the
direction of Sangley maestro de obras. The floor covers an area of about thirty-eight
meters by ten meters.
About the middle of the 19th century, the facade was rebuilt with a stronger base
and thicker wall in order to carry the belfry at the crest. A separate tower was ruled out,
since there is not enough space in the premises.
This facade has three stories. Its face is of the receding type: the cornices and
balustrades of the first and second stories fit into the curved recession. Up to the third
story, the central zone is framed by pairs of Tuscan pillars. At the outer edges of the
recessed part are single pillars. The third story is surmounted by a curved pediment with
a frieze of carved ornaments of six-petalled flowers common in Chinese as well as in
Byzantine-Romanesque designs. From the cornice of the third story, the balustrades on
both sides elope halfway down and are terminated by ornamental urns. These urns
served for lighting purposes during the 19th century.
The convent abuts the church's southeast side. The whole structure acts as a
buttress. The facade itself has its own buttresses that rise as high as the first story.
Above the main portal is the pat of arms of St. Jerome. According to Huerta, the niche
on the third story contained a finely sculptured figure of the patron saint; this niche was
however converted into a window. The belfry at the rest of the facade is hexagonal in
plan, and with a hexagonal cupola.
(Fig. 141).
Huerta, who was well-versed with the true Spanish Baroque, referred to the
architecture of this church as de estilo compuesto.
There is not a single twisted column detail in the interior nor in the exterior of the
church. The twisted column is an inseparable item of the Baroque style. But the facade
has the elaboration of the style. We might call it the Laguna de Bay Baroque,
The man who executed this facade was Miguel or Bartolome Palatino, a master
builder of Paete, Laguna. Paete is the town in Laguna renowned for its wood carvers.
