Manila cathedral

Manila Cathedral in the walled city of Intramuros began as a simple nipa hut parish in 1571. It was elevated to Cathedral status in 1581 when the archdiocese separated from Mexico. In 1583 this upgraded nipa structure burned to the ground.

Archbishop Trinidad seeing the delapidated condition in 1747 began inquiries.  It was in 1760 that a conventional cathedral was constucted, designed by Florentine architect Juan De Uguccioni who modelled the facade to resemble a church in Italy.

The cathedral was destroyed several more times. Seriously damaged  by earthquake in 1621 then destroyed by a series of earthquakes in 1645, and destroyed again in the earthquake of 1863. It was bombed and reduced to rubble in 1945 in the battle for Manila where all that remained was it's facade. The rebuilding was  completed 1958, designed by architect Fernando H. Ocampo.