Intramuros

A SHORT HISTORY AND GUIDE TO INTRAMUROS Written and compiled by Esperanza Bunag Gatbonton

The Cuidad Morada or Intramuros of Manila is located at the mouth of the Pasig River. It was the Spanish quarter and seat of colonial government. The City of Manila was officially founded on June 24, 1571 and a Royal Decree handed down in 1574 conferred on it the title—"Insigne e siempre leal Cuidad de Manila."

During the first days of conquest, the city was confined to the original settlement of the ousted Rajah Sulayman, which encompassed more or less the inner quarters of Fort Santiago. Later, the entire city covered some 60 hectares of land and 6 hectares of moat, ringed with stone fortress some four kilometers long.

From Adelantado Miguel López de Legazpi up until 1872, during the troubled rule of Governor-General Rafael de Izquierdo, that saw the execution of the martyred priests Mariano Gómes, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zámora, each of the governor general sought to improve the walls to protect the Spanish holdings within. Once its enclosure was secured, much attention was given to the city interior. The Spanish historian, Dr. Antonio de Morga (1595-1603), who served as lieutenant to the Governor and judge of the Royal Audiencia, describes the city’s layout:

It occupies the same site where Rajamora [Sulayman] had his settlement and fort. The whole site was occupied by this new settlement and Legazpi apportioned it to the Spaniards in equal building-lots. It was laid out with well-arranged streets and squares, straight and level. A sufficiently large main square square [Plaza Mayor] was left, fronting which was erected the cathedral church and municipal buildings. He left another square, that of arms [Plaza de Armas], fronting which was built the fort, as well as the royal buildings. He gave sites for the monasteries, hospitals and chapels which were to be built, as being a city which was to grow continually…. The Walled City, more commonly known as Intramuros, had

Links: This garita is fully rounded in contrast to that of Bastión de San Gabriel, which was multi-faceted. A guardhouse overlooking the street used to guard the entrance to the powder magazine. This Bastión is the main line of defense for Puerta Real. Puerta Real Gate was upgraded during the time of Manrique de Lara, getting and additional quadrangular bulwark mounted with four cannons. The City was preparing for an attack by the Chinese Koxinga, but his sudden death spared the City from a bloody attack as that launched by the Chinese pirate Limahong in 1574. This almost crippled the defenses of the city. A gold plated bronze statue of Carlos II once stood at this gate. The English attack in 1762 damaged this gate badly. It was remodeled by Engineer Miguel Antonio Gómez, who lowered the gate and made it narrower. Carriages could not longer 4 passed through this gate and had to use the Parian Gate. The inscription above the Gate dates back to 1780, commemorating its reconstruction during the term of GovernorGeneral José Basco y Vargas. To the left of Gate is Bastíon de San Diego, which is in the southern most flank of the Walled City, overlooking Manila Bay. This is the original Fort Nuestra Señora de Guia, whose construction was supervised by the Jesuit Father Antonio Sedeño in 1587. It was later incorporated into the Walls by Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas before1593, connecting it to Bastión de San José and Puerta Real. What remained of the original structure that was built during the time of Governor-General Santiago de Vera and Father Sedeño are the outer circular structure and the casemates with the original apertures that allowed the Spanish soldiers to fire their rifles from this location. These structures were excavated in the 1980 during its restoration. It was later converted into a cistern. Nearby is the location of the Indio cannon maker, Panday Pira. Nearby is the Gate of Santa Lucía, contemporaneous to the rebuilt Puerta Real of Basco’s time. It is dedicated again to King Carlos III, who "caused the Gate to be built for the advantage and decoration of the City." It has two side chambers that one equipped with steps leading to a dungeon like cell that served as a septic tank. It leads out to a tiny plaza through a bridge lined with flagstones. It was rebuilt in the 1980 's by the Intramuros Administration. 5