Fort San Pedro

Historical Background and Significance

Fuerte de San Pedro is a military defence structure in Cebu (Philippines), built by the Spanish
under the command of Miguel Lpez de Legazpi, first governor of the Captaincy General of the
Philippines. It is located in the area now called Plaza Indepedencia, in the pier area of the city.
The original fort was made of wood and built after the arrival of Legazpi and his expedition. In
the early 17th century a stone fort was built to repel Muslim raiders.

The fort is triangular in shape, with two sides facing the sea and the third side fronting the land.
The two sides facing the sea were defended with artillery and the front with a strong palisade
made of wood. It has a total inside area of 2,025 square metres (21,800 sq ft). The walls are 6.1
metres high by 2.4 metres thick (20 feet high by 8 feet thick), and the towers are 9.1 metres (30
ft) high from the ground level. The circumference is 380 metres (1,248 ft). The sides are of
unequal lengths and the one fronting the city is where one may find entry into the fort. Fourteen
cannons were mounted in their emplacements most of which are still there today. Work first
started in 1565 with Miguel Lopz de Legazpi breaking ground.

Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_San_Pedro

Present Modification and Function:

Today, Fort San Pedro is a fusion of a park which serves as an oasis in the middle of a bustling
city and a museum where visitors can learn a great deal about the history of Cebu and the
beginnings of the Spanish rule in the Philippines. Part of the fort is a museum that displays
legacies of the Spanish government and well-preserved Spanish artifacts like documents,
paintings, and sculptures. The large lawn of the fort is now being used for functions like
weddings, birthdays, and other occasions. But certain permits and requirements should be
approved first by the designated personnel. The Fort San Pedro has undergone numerous
modifications and changes but it was restored as close to the original as possible. They hauled
coral stones from along the sea under Cebu coastal towns for the Fort's restoration.

San Nicolas De Tolentino Church

Historical Background and Significance

This church is built on an area that traces its founding back to the Spanish conquest over 400
years ago, to the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

The San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church served what was then the town of San Nicolas,
also known as Cebu el Viejo or old Cebu, which was a settlement purely for Cebuano natives.
A separate but adjacent settlement up north was Villa San Miguel, the city set aside for the
Spaniards, while farther away was Parian, where the Chinese populace resided and traded.

The very first San Nicolas church was built between 1787 and 1804 under the supervision of
Fray Ambrosio Otero but this was destroyed by aerial bombing during World War II.

It was described as closely resembling the Sto. Nio church based on old photos of the
structure and used to have a clay tile roof until the 1930s when this was replaced with
galvanized iron sheets.

A statue of Fray Andres de Urdaneta resting on base with a tablet that proclaimed him as an
honorary parish priest used to decorate the church patio.

Professor Julian Jumalon recalled that during his childhood days in the 1920s, the church,
convent, and residential stone houses brought an air of solemnity and respectability to the
neighborhood.

Since the structure was destroyed in the bombing runs conducted by the United States Americal
Division on March 25, 1945, a makeshift chapel was built after the war to serve as temporary
church.

Present Modification and Function