After visiting the San Guillermo Parish in Bacolor, we headed subsequent to Guagua, Pampanga. Amongst all of the church buildings in our itinerary for this pilgrimage, that is the place I used to be most enthusiastic about. The primary time I noticed the picture of Betis Church on a Fb put up highlighting its magnificent trompe l’oeil ceiling, i needed to place it on my bucket checklist instantly. Santiago Apostol Parish Church or extra generally often called Betis Church was established in 1607. It was additionally declared as a Nationwide Cultural Treasure by the Nationwide Museum in 2001.
Betis was initially an impartial settlement lengthy earlier than the arrival of the Spaniards within the Philippines. It was named after the Guadalquivir River (Rio Betis) in Spain, indicating that Spanish colonizers noticed similarities between the realm and their homeland. The city was based by Augustinian Priest Fray Fernando Pinto. It was a flourishing group located alongside the banks of the Betis River, which made it splendid for agriculture, fishing, and commerce.
In 1607, the Parish Church of St. James the Apostle (also referred to as Betis Church) was established, making Betis one of many oldest parishes in Pampanga. Fray Mateo Peralta was listed as its first parish priest. Nevertheless, it was Father José de la Cruz who initiated the constructing of the church. The preliminary construction was made of sunshine supplies, primarily wooden and stucco. Hearth broke out throughout the church a number of occasions on account of these gentle supplies, so it was lastly rebuilt with concrete in 1770.
Within the final quarter of the nineteenth century, Father Manuel Camañes dug an artesian properly on the north facet of the church, giving a supply of potable water to the individuals of Betis and close by cities. The current-day concrete fence with caryatids was constructed within the earlier half of the twentieth century.
Throughout this era, Betis was an impartial city with its personal governance and thriving native industries equivalent to woodcarving and furnishings making. It grew to become particularly identified for producing expert artisans, significantly in woodcraft and ecclesiastical artwork—a practice that continues right this moment.
In 1904, through the American colonial interval, Betis misplaced its standing as an impartial municipality and was annexed as a barangay of Guagua. This occasion passed off through the time the place most cities are being consolidated. The consolidation of cities through the American interval within the Philippines refers to a coverage of decreasing the variety of municipalities by merging smaller or much less viable cities into bigger ones. This was executed to streamline governance, cut back administrative prices, and make native authorities extra environment friendly below American colonial rule.
Beautification of the inside was extensively executed in 1939 by Father Santiago Blanco, the final Spanish priest of the church. The ceiling of the nave was painted by the well-known Anac Baculud, a relative of Juan Crisostomo Soto, by the identify of Isidoro C. Soto, who was mentored by Dr. Sijuco. Isidoro, nicknamed Doro Soto, himself painted the ceiling itself.
The fashion of Betis Church displays a mix of Baroque and Neo-Classical architectural kinds, tailored to native Filipino-Spanish aesthetics. It options huge adobe and stone partitions that talk to the church’s age and sturdiness. A central arched important entrance is flanked by pilasters (flat columns) that divide the façade into three vertical sections.
The higher a part of the façade features a area of interest with a statue of St. Augustine.
On the appropriate facet of the church façade stands a separate however linked octagonal bell tower, manufactured from adobe.
A number of statues may be discovered outdoors the church. Certainly one of which is the statue of the Sacred Coronary heart of Jesus in entrance.
The opposite entrance of Betis Church. This one was a rose window on its higher half however as a substitute of stained glass, it’s manufactured from Capiz shells.
Simply few walks from the Artesian Effectively, you’ll discover a statue of Saint James, significantly its illustration as Saint James Matamoros or the Moor Slayer.
You’ll discover the identical depiction as bas reliefs in the primary entrance of Fort Santiago in Intramuros ( See: Fort Santiago )and the facade of Paete Church in Laguna (See: Saint James the Apostle Parish/ Paete Church)
The inside of the Betis Church is broadly considered one of the crucial breathtaking within the Philippines, incomes it the nickname “The Sistine Chapel of the Philippines”. Its inside design is a masterpiece of Baroque and Rococo artwork, blended with Filipino craftsmanship, particularly in woodcarving and ceiling portray.
Essentially the most hanging function is the ceiling, absolutely coated in elaborate trompe l’oeil work—a way that creates an phantasm of three-dimensionality. The portray depicts varied scenes from the Bible, saints, and extra. The artworks of the inside had been extensively executed in 1939 below the final Spanish friar who served as parish priest, Fr. Santiago Blanco, OSA. Native painter Macario Ligón was later commissioned to color the ceiling of the church. Later within the Seventies, Ligón’s assistant and nephew Victor Ramos restored 80 p.c of the ceiling and mural work.
Victor Ramos y Gozum (1922–1986) repainted nearly 80% of the ceiling and mural work within the inside of the Betis church which most modern writers mistook for Simon Flores originals. Ramos and Daning Henson from San Fernando Pampanga and a sure Mr. Pangilinan reworked the ceiling work within the early 1980’s, commissioned by the Betis Fiesta Committee below Tatang Emias Roque. It was a flagship venture for the city which was then headed by former Guagua Mayor Atty. Manuel Santiago. Primarily based on Macario Ligón-originals (Ligón was an uncle and instructor of Ramos in portray), repainting was executed because of the decaying panels infested by termites and to keep away from a extra devastating impact on different components of the church’s ceiling.
The dome space options murals depicting pictures of angels, clouds, and different notable Biblical occasions. It additionally creates the phantasm of a three-dimensional dome opening up into the heavens.
This strategy is in line with Baroque creative traditions, particularly in church buildings the place a bodily dome was structurally impractical.
The primary altar of Betis Church is equally gorgeous. It’s constructed within the Baroque-Rococo fashion and is a multi-tiered, gold-leafed picket construction.
The primary layer of the altar incorporates a single area of interest that enshrines the picture of Our Woman surrounded by angels. The second tier has 5 niches with the picture of Saint Joseph and the kid Jesus on the middle. It’s accompanied by 4 Augustinian Saints. The decrease tier has 7 niches with Saint James the Apostle within the middle together with few extra Augustinian Saints with Saint Paul and Saint Peter.
San Nicholas de Tolentino, Saint Augustine, Saint Peter
Austinian Saints
There’s additionally a picture of God the Father and the Holy Spirit on prime of the grand retablo
One of many Facet altars enshrines the picture of Virgel de la Correa
The picture of the Virgen de la Correa is considered one of two valuable pictures of Betis church, the opposite, being the ivory determine of its titular patron, Santiago Apostol (St. James).
The opposite facet altar options pictures just like the La Pieta, Saint Therese, Saint Anthony of Padua amongst others.
You may as well spot a pulpit on the facet of the church
There’s additionally a bamboo pipe organ
The primary entrance door options some heavy particulars. The carvings painting the “Gates of Paradise”.
Choir loft space.
A small facet chapel with intricately detailed and ornate altar with picture depicting the Baptism of the Lord
Betis Church is unquestionably not only a place of worship however a residing museum of Pampanga’s cultural soul. The church’s outdated refectory was additionally transformed right into a mini-museum. Nevertheless, we weren’t capable of go to it that point.
This Put up is a part of my Pampanga Pilgrimage sequence. Be happy to revisit my earlier articles right here