Description of the attraction
The Intramuros area, which can be translated from Spanish as “within the walls,” is the oldest area of Manila, the capital of the island state of the Philippines. Today, on its territory of 0, 67 sq. Km. is home to about 5 thousand people. And the number of tourists is much higher than this figure, because Intramuros is one of the main attractions of Manila and a major architectural monument of the times of the Spanish conquest.
In 1571, on the banks of the Pasig River at its confluence with the Gulf of Manila, the Spanish conquistador Lopez de Legazpi founded a fortress to protect Hispanic military families and administration from attacks by Chinese pirates. It was this fortress, surrounded by a wide moat, that gave rise to the city of Manila - until the 19th century, the words "Manila" and "Intramuros" were synonymous. And only in the 19th and early 20th centuries Manila "stepped over" the walls of the fortress, making it just a part of the city.
For many decades, Hispanic families and servants from the local population lived inside the fortress. But life gradually took its toll, and more and more families of mixed origin were created - the Christianization of the indigenous people of the Philippines gained momentum. In 1590, on the site of the wooden fort of Intramuros, a stone one was built, and in the 17-18 centuries there was a whole complex of structures designed to protect its inhabitants from the Chinese and Malays. Unfortunately, during the Second World War, many monuments of Spanish colonial architecture were destroyed by bombing.
Nevertheless, even today, inside Intramuros, you can see interesting buildings with a long history. The fortress itself is located just south of the Pasig River. Interestingly, there used to be a bamboo fortress of Raja Suleiman-Maniil, who ruled these places in the 14th century. In the northwestern part is Fort Santiago - the oldest fortification of the Spaniards. This fort was once a prison for Filipino pirates who fought for the independence of their country. Opposite it rises the Manila Cathedral, built in the Romanesque style. And at the very gates of the fortress stands the Cathedral of San Augustin, the oldest building in Manila and one of the most beautiful. Numerous art galleries, museums, restaurants and even a small oceanarium are scattered throughout the area. The ancient moats that once surrounded Intramuros were drained and turned into golf courses popular today with locals and tourists alike.
