San Agustin Church

San Agustin Church is the great survivor of Intramuros. The Augustinians built a bamboo and nipa church here in 1571, and after two earlier buildings burned, work on the present stone church began in 1586 to a design by Juan Macías. It was declared complete in 1607. The church has come through earthquakes in 1645, 1699, 1754, 1796, 1825, 1852, 1863 and 1880, and after the 1863 earthquake it was the only public building in Manila left undamaged, serving for a time as a hospital. In 1993 it was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines.

The exterior is restrained, built of hewn adobe stone quarried from Meycauayan, Binangonan and San Mateo. Only one bell tower stands today; the left tower was taken down after the 1880 earthquakes and only its base remains. Step inside and the mood changes completely. The ceiling is covered in trompe-l'oeil painting by two Italian artists, creating the illusion of carved stone where the surface is flat. Look out for the baroque pulpit with its pineapple motif, the molave choir seats with 17th-century ivory inlays, a 16th-century crucifix in the ante-choir, the pipe organ and the sixteen chandeliers brought from Paris.

The adjoining monastery was rebuilt as a museum in the 1970s to designs by the architect Angel Nakpil. It is a separate paid visit and is the way to see the cloisters and the church's collection of religious art and furnishings. The church itself is still an active place of worship, so parts of it may be in use for services when you arrive.

Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and keep voices low during services. Weekends tend to be busier, so a weekday morning is calmer if you want time to look at the ceiling. Payment at the museum has been cash only, so bring pesos. Allow about an hour for the church and museum together.

The church faces Casa Manila across General Luna Street, and Manila Cathedral and Fort Santiago are a short walk north, so it fits naturally into a walking day in Intramuros. It suits anyone interested in architecture, religious art or colonial history, and the cool interior is a welcome break on a hot afternoon.