Barasoain Church, Roman Catholic church in Malolos, Philippines.
Barasoain Church is a Roman Catholic church building in Malolos, Philippines, combining baroque style elements with Renaissance Revival architecture. The masonry and brick structure features a bell tower and a large facade that reflects the historical character of the building.
Barásoain began as the village of Bangkál, and in 1859 it was separated from Malolos as an independent parish with Our Lady of Mount Carmel as patroness. After earlier churches burned or fell in the 1880 earthquakes, Juan Girón hired contractor Miguel Magpayo in 1885 to build the present masonry and brick church. The Malolos Congress convened here on September 15, 1898, the Malolos Constitution was ratified on January 21, 1899, and Emilio Aguinaldo took his oath as president of the First Philippine Republic on January 23, 1899.
The site played a central role in the birth of the Philippine Republic and reminds visitors of the struggle for independence. The parish remains active in daily worship and attracts pilgrims as well as history enthusiasts who come to see the setting of major political events.
The church stands at the corner of Paseo del Congreso and Antonio Bautista streets in Malolos, Bulacan, about 42 kilometers from Manila. The old convent beside it houses a museum run by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The building is a parish church, not a chapel, so visits fit around parish services.
The name comes from Barásoain in Navarre, Spain, the birthplace of José Julián de Aranguren, who served as the 22nd Archbishop of Manila from 1847 to 1861. The church also appears on the reverse of the ten-peso banknote.
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