Description of the attraction
The Cebu Capitol is the seat of the government of the Philippine province of Cebu, located in the city of the same name. The Capitol, designed by the famous architect Juan Arellano, is located at the northern end of Boulevard Osmenya. The inscription on the facade of the building reads: "The power of the government comes from the people."
The design of the Capitol, designed to replace the old Casa Provincial government building in the Spanish Quarter, began in 1910, but the construction itself began only in 1937. Governor Sotero Kabahug personally supervised the progress of the work. A year later, in June 1938, the grand opening of the new Capitol took place, which was attended by the President of the Philippines, Manuel Quezon. At the ceremony, Cebu's Archbishop Gabriel Reyes blessed the new building, and Governor Rodriguez's wife uncorked a bottle of champagne. During the Second World War, the Capitol was seriously damaged, but a year after the end of the war it was completely restored.
Today, the Cebu Capitol Building is one of the city's main attractions. Its U-shape seems to embrace the end of the wide boulevard Osmenya. The main three-story building is flanked by two service buildings, and all together they create a wide courtyard - a ceremonial courtyard bounded by a balustrade. The main building is built in a typical neoclassical style: the ground floor with rusticated stone blocks is occupied by small halls and offices, the main work premises are located on the second floor, and the attic floor completes the structure. The facade is crowned with a cornice and a parapet with allegorical sculptures at the corners. The most memorable feature of the façade is the central semicircular balcony with a simple octagonal dome.
The second floor of the Capitol can be reached by going up the main staircase from the foyer. If you go south from the hall, made in the Art Deco style, you can get to the balcony overlooking the boulevard. And if you go north, the corridor leads to a dance hall with huge windows from ceiling to floor, also decorated in the Art Deco style and evoking fairy-tale balls. The spacious dance hall is illuminated by two chic chandeliers of incredible size.
