SAN

SEBASTIAN
CHURCH

SAN
SEBASTIAN
CHURCH
DELA
TORRE,
KAREN
B.

SAN SEBASTIAN
CHURCH

LOCATION
Pasaje del Carmen Street, Quiapo,
Manila
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
Gothic Revival
OPENED
1891

ARCHITECT
Genaro Palacios

SPECIFICATIONS
Steel, mixed sand, gravel and
cement

The San Sebastian Church

rises in splendor and
boasts the title ofthe only
steel church in Asia. It was
built in reaction to the
various calamities, from
fires, typhoons and
earthquakes that
devastated the previous
structures.

LETS GO
BACK IN

HISTO
RY

LETS GO
BACK IN

HISTO
RY

LETS GO
BACK IN

HISTO
RY

The original church, made of wood,

burned in 1651 during aLimahong
uprising. The succeeding structures, which
were built of brick, were destroyed by
fire or earthquakes in 1859, 1863, and
1880.

1651

The original church, made of wood,

burned in 1651 during aLimahong
uprising. The succeeding structures, which
were built of brick, were destroyed by
fire or earthquakes in 1859, 1863, and
1880.
Esteban Martnez, the parish priest of the
ruined church, approached the Spanish
Architect Genaro Palacios, with a plan
to build a fire and earthquake proof
Church made entirely ofsteel.

1651
1880

The original church, made of wood,

burned in 1651 during aLimahong
uprising. The succeeding structures, which
were built of brick, were destroyed by
fire or earthquakes in 1859, 1863, and
1880.
Esteban Martnez, the parish priest of the
ruined church, approached the Spanish
Architect Genaro Palacios, with a plan
to build a fire and earthquake proof
Church made entirely ofsteel.

1651
1880
1888

The prefabricated steel sections of the

church were manufactured inBinche,
Belgium by La socitanonymedes
Enterprises deTravauxPubliques.

In all, 52 tonnes of the steel sections

were transported in eight separate
shipments from Belgium to the Philippines;
the first shipment arrived in this year.

1888

In all, 52 tonnes of the steel sections

were transported in eight separate
shipments from Belgium to the Philippines;
the first shipment arrived in this year.

1888

Belgian engineers supervised the assembly

of the church, the first column of which
was
erected
on
September
11,
1890.The walls were filled with mixed
sand, gravel and cement.

1890

In all, 52 tonnes of the steel sections

were transported in eight separate
shipments from Belgium to the Philippines;
the first shipment arrived in this year.

1888

Belgian engineers supervised the assembly

of the church, the first column of which
was
erected
on
September
11,
1890.The walls were filled with mixed
sand, gravel and cement.

1890
1891

Upon final completion on August 16,

1891, the Basilica Minore de San Sebastian
was consecrated by then the Archbishop of
Manila, Bernardo Nozaleda.

FEATU
RES

STRICKING
GOTHIC
CHURCH

STRICKING
GOTHIC
CHURCH
STEEL
VAULTS

STRICKING
GOTHIC
CHURCH
STEEL
VAULTS
STAINED
GLASS
WINDOWS

STRICKING
GOTHIC
CHURCH
STEEL
VAULTS
STAINED
GLASS
WINDOWS
TWIN
BELL
TOWERS

From the ground

12 meters (39ft)
to the dome

From the ground

32 meters (105ft)
to the tip of the spires

12 meters (39ft)
to the dome

From the ground

EXTERIOR

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR

INTERIOR

FUN
FACTS

The mystery around

the church is that
Gustave Eiffel was
involved with the
design and
construction of the
San Sebastian
Church .

The connection between Eiffel and San

Sebastian Church was reportedly confirmed by
Philippine historian Ambeth Ocampowhile
doing research inParis.

Ocampo published a report stating that the

prominent architectI.M. Peihad visited
Manila in the 1970s to confirm reports he had
heard that Eiffel had designed an all-steel
church in Asia.

San Sebastian Church

was a declared
National Historical
Landmark
byPresidentFerdinand
Marcos
through Presidential
Decree
No. 260 in 1973.

The church was

declared a
National Cultural
Treasure by
theNational
Museum of the
Philippineson on
August 15, 2011
and unveiling of
the marker on

REFERENCES
http://
correosfilipinas.tumblr.com/post/15991398032/
san-sebastian-church-steel-vaults-under
http://
www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1
393406&page=34
http://historicphilippines.com/churches-volum
e-2/historic-churches-vii/san-sebastian-churc
h-in-quiapo