Plazas and monuments
Plaza de Roma
Bounded by the Manila Cathedral to the southeast, the Palacio del Gobernador to the southwest and the Ayuntamiento to the northeast, this small plot of land is Intramuros' very own plaza mayor main square. At the centre of the plaza stands a monument to King Carlos IV of Spain, cast in 1808 and erected in 1824 by a colonial government grateful for his having dispatched a shipment of smallpox vaccine to the Philippines.
Plaza Moriones
Located in front of Fort Santiago, this is where the Galeria de la Revolucion Filipina is situated.Plaza México
Plaza Sto. Tomas
Plazuela de Sta. Isabel
a memorial monument of the civilian victims of World War II can be found here.
Walls, gates, and fortifications
Fort Santiago
The former military headquarters of the Spanish colonial government. Although the fort sustained very heavy damage during the 1945 Battle of Manila, several key portions of the compound were subsequently restored - including its iconic gate with a wooden relief featuring Santiago Matamoros St. James the Moor-slayer, the patron saint of Spain. It is now considered a major landmark and one of Manila's most popular tourist attractions, partly because José Rizal - the national hero of the Philippines - was imprisoned here prior to his execution on 30 Dec 1896. The Rizal Shrine see Museums, below, a small museum dedicated to his life and work, is housed in a restored section of one of the fort's former barracks. â±75, â±50 students/children.
Baluarte de San Diego
Dating from the 17th century, this formidable bastion surrounds the remains of the round fort of Nuestra Señora de Guia, the first stone fort built in Manila. Severely damaged during the Second World War, the Baluarte de San Diego was restored in the 1980s and is now a major tourist attraction.
Except for a small open stretch near the River Pasig, Intramuros is completely surrounded by the massive stone walls that gave the district its name. Starting from the northwestern end of the fortifications and moving anti-clockwise Note: This is not a comprehensive list!:
Postigo del Palacio
Built in 1662, renovated 1782-83. On 30 Dec 1896, national hero José Rizal was taken through this gate en route to the place of his execution, in what is known today as Rizal Park see related entry on the district sub-page for Ermita.
Puerta de Isabel II
Built in 1861, this was the last gate to be opened in Intramuros' walls under Spanish rule. A fine statue of Queen Isabel II of Spain stands in front of the gate.
Churches
San AgustÃn Church
A true Spanish Baroque treasure, with magnificent trompe-l'Åil ceilings and a splendid high altar. Consecrated in 1607, this ancient building managed to survive the Second World War although it, too, sustained heavy damage and is said to be the oldest stone church currently standing in the Philippines. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 as part of the group "Baroque Churches of the Philippines". Miguel López de Legazpi 1502-1572, the first Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, is buried in a tomb near the high altar; other funerary monuments can be found along the walls or set into the floor. Much of San AgustÃn's neighbouring monastery was damaged during the war and was subsequently refashioned into exhibition space for the San AgustÃn Museum see Museums, below. The church is a very popular venue for weddings; don't be surprised if you encounter a ceremony in progress during your visit. Church itself is free, but visiting the adjacent museum requires a paid ticket.
Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral)
Destroyed and rebuilt several times over, the Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila and one of the most important churches in the Philippines. The current Neo-Romanesque iteration consecrated in 1958 is the eighth - or sixth, depending on who's counting - to stand on the site since 1581, succeeding the 19th-century structure that was levelled to the ground during the 1945 Battle of Manila. A small exhibit detailing the Cathedral's history can be found in one of the side chapels near the entrance. Masses are offered daily; refer to the official website for a full schedule of liturgical services. Free, but donations are appreciated. NOTE: In February 2012, church authorities announced the temporary closure of the Cathedral effective 7th February in order to make way for urgent structural repairs. No definite date has been given for the reopening, but reports say the work may require at least one year to complete. Weddings will apparently be accommodated until March but it is not currently known whether casual visitors will be allowed inside during this time.
Ruins
Intendencia (Aduana)
Built in the 1820s and reconstructed after the 1863 earthquake, this building once housed the Spanish colonial government's customs offices and other administrative units. It was damaged during the war but survived to re-enter government service - at one point housing the Central Bank of the Philippines - only to fall victim to a 1979 fire that caused massive destruction. There are plans to restore the building whose exterior walls have survived more or less intact for the use of the National Archives.
San Ignacio Church
Built by the Jesuits and consecrated in 1889, the church's magnificent interiors were completely destroyed in 1945. There are plans to restore the ruined building for use as an ecclesiastical museum.
Bahay Tsinoy
A museum dedicated to the history and contributions of the Chinese-Filipino community. â±100, â±60 students/children.
ECJ Building
The external appearance of this post-war building closely mimics that of the Augustinian Provincial House, an extension of the nearby San AgustÃn convent that was built on the site in the 19th century and destroyed by fire in 1932.