'''Intramuros''' [http://www.intramurosadministration.com/home.htm] (Latin: ''within the walls'') is the historic centre and oldest district of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines.
Also known as the ''Ciudad Murada'' (Walled City) because of its most famous feature: a nearly three-mile-long circuit of massive stone walls and fortifications that almost completely surrounds the entire district.
Understand
From the city's foundation in 1571 to the end of Spanish rule in 1898, Intramuros ''was'' Manila.
The Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi (1502-1572) laid the foundations of the new capital on the former site of ''Maynilad'', a palisaded riverside settlement ruled by a native chieftain. To protect the inhabitants from attack, in the late 1500s construction began on a series of stone walls and fortifications that would eventually enclose a pentagonal area approximately 0.67 sq km in size, within which lay a tight grid-like system of streets and a main square surrounded by government structures. The defensive curtain was more or less completed by the 1700s, although improvements and other construction work continued well into the next century.
Within the protective walls rose a city of stone palaces, churches, monasteries, convents, schools, and fine courtyard houses. Initially, only Spaniards could live inside the city gates; Filipinos and foreigners resided in the surrounding areas. A clear distinction was made between the city within the walls, known as the ''Ciudad de Manila'' (the City of Manila), and everything that lay beyond the walls, collectively referred to as the ''Provincia de Manila'' (the Province of Manila). In the centuries that followed, Manila (meaning Intramuros) served as the capital of the Spanish East Indies - the centre of commerce, education, government, and religion in Spain's most distant imperial possession.
Except for a brief period under British rule (1762-1764), Intramuros remained a Spanish city until 1898, when the United States took control of the Philippines at the end of the Spanish-American War.
The city's darkest hour came in 1945, during the closing stages of the Second World War. In the fierce Battle of Manila between American and Japanese forces, Intramuros was almost completely destroyed - its centuries-old buildings reduced to rubble and thousands of civilians massacred within its walls. Instead of rebuilding on the same site, many of the religious orders and educational institutions that once resided in the walled district packed up and moved elsewhere. Although steps were taken to protect the city's historic character, vague laws and poor enforcement led to many unsightly modern buildings being built upon the ruins of the old. In 1979, the Intramuros Administration was established and stronger measures introduced in order to preserve what was left.
Many of the city's ancient gates and most of the walls have since been restored. On the other hand, there has been almost no progress in the reconstruction of key landmarks (such as major churches and old government buildings). Owing to a serious lack of funds and the existence of new structures, it is unlikely that Intramuros itself - the city within the walls - will ever be fully resurrected.
Get in
By taxi
For visitors who don't mind shelling out a little extra - and putting up with rush-hour traffic jams - Manila's relatively inexpensive taxis are probably the easiest and most direct way of reaching Intramuros from elsewhere in the city. The current flagdown rate is PHP30, and the fare goes up in increments of PHP2.50 every few hundred metres (or 2 minutes of idle time).
By train
The nearest railway station is '''Central Terminal''' (LRT-1 / Yellow Line) [http://www.lrta.gov.ph/system_map.htm]. Though within sight of the eastern walls, the station is a pretty long walk from the western part of Intramuros (where many of the major sights are located), so tourists headed in that direction might consider covering the rest of the journey by taxi.
Get around
'''Calesa''' - First used on the streets of Manila in the 18th century, these horse-drawn carriages can usually be found waiting for passengers near Fort Santiago. A nice, old-fashioned way to get around Intramuros. To avoid getting ripped off, it may be a good idea to ask about the route and confirm the price of the trip before setting out.
'''By foot''' - Walking from one attraction to another is a popular way to get around Intramuros. Just mind the cars: there are almost no pavements to speak of so pedestrians usually share space with automobiles. It is even possible to walk on some sections of the old city walls.
See
Walls, gates, and fortifications
Fort Santiago. anta Clara. n the northwestern end of Plaza Moriones. 632-5271572
" email="" fax="" url="http://www.intramurosadministration.com/fort.htm" hours="Open daily 8 AM-6 PM" price="">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 Jose Rizal - the national hero of the Philippines - was imprisoned here prior to his execution on 30 December 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. Admission PHP75 adults, PHP50 students/children.</see>
'''Puerta de Sta. Lucia'''
'''Puerta del Parian''' and '''Revellin del Parian'''
'''Puerta Real''' and '''Revellin de Real del Bagumbayan'''
'''Baluartillo de San Jose''' and '''Reducto de San Pedro'''
'''Postigo del Palacio'''
Baluarte de San Diego. anta Lucia cor. Muralla. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/sanpedro.htm. Dating from the 17th century, this formidable bastion surrounds the remains of the round fort of '''Nuestra Senora 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.
'''Baluarte de San Andres'''
'''Baluarte de San Gabriel'''
'''Baluarte de San Francisco de Dilao'''
'''Puerta Isabel II'''
Plazas and monuments
Plaza de Roma. eneral Luna (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Andres Soriano (Aduana). n front of Manila Cathedral. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/roma.htm. 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 despatched a shipment of smallpox vaccine to the Philippines.
'''Plaza Moriones''' - Located in front of Fort Santiago, it is where the Galeria de la Revolucion Filipina is situated.
'''Plaza Mexico'''
'''Estatua de Reina Isabela II de las Espanas'''
Museums
Bahay Tsinoy. 2 Anda cor. Cabildo. 632-5276083 / +632-5266796. nfo@bahaytsinoy.org. 632-5276085. ttp://www.bahaytsinoy.org/. ue-Sun 1-5 PM. A museum dedicated to the history and contributions of the Filipino-Chinese community. Admission PHP100 adults, PHP60 students/children.
Casa Manila. eneral Luna (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Real. cross the street from San Agustin Church. 632-5274084. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/museumcasamanila.htm. ue-Sun 9 AM-6 PM. A recreation of a typical upper-class colonial Intramuros home. The interiors are filled with antique furniture, artwork, and other artefacts from the Spanish era, all carefully arranged to illustrate what life was like for wealthy families of that period. Admission PHP75 adults, PHP50 students/children.
Light and Sound Museum. anta Lucia cor. Victoria. 632-5242827. ttp://www.philtourism.gov.ph/lsm_desc.html. Using images, sounds, and animatronics, the museum takes visitors on a journey through Philippine history under Spanish rule. The facility is housed in a building whose facade reproduces the appearance of '''the old motherhouse of the Beaterio de la Compania de Jesus''', which stood on the site until its destruction during the Second World War. Admission PHP100 per person for groups of 10 or more; smaller groups are reportedly charged a higher per-person rate (contact the museum to confirm arrangements).
Rizal Shrine. ort Santiago. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/museumrizal.htm. ue-Sun 8 AM-5 PM. Located within the walls of '''Fort Santiago''' (see above), this small museum contains exhibits related to the life and work of Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines.
San Agustin Museum. eneral Luna (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Real. ight next to San Agustin Church. 632-5274060 / +632-5274061. pen daily 8 AM-12 noon, 1-6 PM. Adjacent to the '''San Agustin Church''' (see Churches, below), this museum's very impressive - if rather poorly labelled - collection includes Spanish colonial-era ecclesiastical vestments, sacred vessels, religious art, manuscripts, and other important cultural artefacts. The building itself is steeped in history, fashioned out of the surviving portions of a monastery that was heavily damaged during the Second World War. Admission PHP100 adults, PHP50 college students, PHP45 high-school students, PHP40 elementary-school students.
Churches
Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Manila Cathedral). abildo cor. Beaterio. n front of Plaza de Roma. 632-5271796 / +632-5273093 / +632-5273889 / +632-5283876. lacathedral@yahoo.com. 632-5360192. ttp://www.manilacathedral.org/index.htm. 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 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. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
San Agustin Church. eneral Luna (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Real. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/sanagustin.htm. 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 Lopez 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 Agustin's neighbouring monastery was damaged during the war and was subsequently refashioned into exhibition space for the '''San Agustin Museum''' (see Museums, above). The church is a very popular venue for weddings; don't be surprised if you encounter a ceremony in progress during your visit. Admission to the church itself is free, but visiting the adjacent museum requires a paid ticket.
Ruins
Ayuntamiento. ndres Soriano (Aduana) cor. Cabildo. ight next to Plaza de Roma. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/ayuntamiento.htm. Completely rebuilt in 1884 after the disastrous earthquake of 1863, the seat of Manila's colonial-era city council once had some of the grandest interiors in Intramuros. The 1945 Battle of Manila left the building a gutted shell, of which only the first storey survives; it now suffers the indignity of serving as a parking lot.
Intendencia (Aduana). ndres Soriano (Aduana) cor. Muralla. ot far from the riverbank. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/aduana.htm. 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. rzobispo cor. Anda. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/sanignacio.htm. 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.
Other buildings
ECJ Building. anta Lucia cor. Real. ear Puerta de Santa Lucia. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/agustinian.htm. The external appearance of this post-war building closely mimics that of the '''Augustinian Provincial House''', an extension of the nearby San Agustin convent that was built in the 19th century and destroyed by fire in 1932.
Palacio del Gobernador. eneral Luna (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Andres Soriano (Aduana). ight next to Plaza de Roma. ttp://www.intramurosadministration.com/palacio.htm. This eight-storey office building was erected in the late 1970s on the site of '''the Spanish Governor-General's official residence''', which was destroyed in a powerful 1863 earthquake that also damaged many other structures in Intramuros. Sadly, the modern building looks absolutely nothing like its 19th-century namesake.
Do
Club Intramuros Golf Course. onifacio Drive cor. Aduana Street, Port Area. bout 30-45 minutes from the airport via Roxas Boulevard. ttp://www.philtourism.com/club_desc.html. A few years after the Americans took over from the Spanish in 1898, the new government decided that Intramuros no longer needed a moat - but it did require a golf course. Solution: fill in the moat, cover the newly reclaimed land with grass, add a few sand pits and water traps. Result: an 18 hole, par 66, 4,326-yard greensward that wraps around the city's ancient walls and makes for an interesting (if rather short) golfing experience.
Buy
The Silahis Center. 44 General Luna (Calle Real del Palacio). 632-5272111. ilahiscenter@silahis.com. ttp://www.silahis.com/about.html. Handmade Filipino goods and folk art. Other departments within the same showroom feature fine art, antiques, and books.
Eat
Budget
Chowking. EM I Bldg., Andres Soriano (Aduana). 632-5271339 / +632-5272903. ttp://www.chowking.com/index.php. AM to 10 PM. Chinese dishes with a Filipino twist. Branch store of a major fast-food chain. Menu prices start at PHP49 for light "value meals".
Jollibee. ndres Soriano (Aduana) cor. Muralla. 632-5270489 / +632-5270505. ttp://www.jollibee.com.ph/. AM to 8:30 PM on weekdays, 7 AM to 7 PM on weekends. Typical fast-food joint: burgers, fries, fried chicken and so on. Branch store of the country's largest homegrown fast-food chain.
Splurge
Ilustrado. 44 General Luna (Calle Real del Palacio). ithin the El Amanecer compound, a few blocks down the street from San Agustin. 632-5273674. eservations@ilustradorestaurant.com.ph. ttp://ilustradorestaurant.com.ph/index.html. Mainly Filipino-Spanish cuisine: ''rellenong bangus'' (stuffed milkfish), ''paella'', and other traditional dishes. Fine dining in the heart of the walled city.
Drink
Starbucks. 5-A Puerta Isabel II, Muralla cor. Magallanes. ear Puerta de Isabel II. 632-5274282. ttp://www.starbucks.com/default.asp. No matter where you go, you can't escape Starbucks. This branch of the global coffeehouse chain sits not far from the historic Puerta de Isabel II, the last gate built in Intramuros.
Sleep
Hotels of any kind - from the luxurious to the spartan - are easy to find in Manila, but there is a surprising lack of quality bedspace within Intramuros itself. The nearest major tourist pit stop is the venerable '''Manila Hotel''' (see below), which stands just beyond the southern edge of the walled city's former moat.
Tourists willing to put up with (and pay for) long taxi rides might consider bedding down in the high-end hotels of the posh Makati business district, miles to the southeast.
Splurge
Manila Hotel. ne Rizal Park, Roxas Boulevard, Manila. 632-5270011. 632-5270022 to 24. ttp://www.manila-hotel.com.ph/. esvn@manila-hotel.com.ph. Opened in 1912 on a prime site just outside the walls of Intramuros, the Manila Hotel is a well-known landmark and a historic location in itself. General Douglas MacArthur lived there from 1935 to 1941. Published rates start at US$308 for a Superior Double room and go all the way up to US$3,075 for the Presidential Suite; the famous MacArthur Suite costs US$2,460 a night. Special online rates (currently much lower than published rates) and other offers can be viewed on the hotel's official website.
Contact
The international telephone country code for the Philippines is '''63'''. The area code for Metro Manila (including Intramuros) is '''2'''.
For further information about this district, contact:
<listing name="Intramuros Administration" alt="" directions="" address="5th Floor, Palacio del Gobernador, General Luna cor. Andres Soriano, Intramuros, Manila" phone="+632-5273138 (Tourism Marketing & Promotions Division) / +632-5272961 (Intramuros Visitors Centre)
" email="" fax="" url="http://www.intramurosadministration.com/home.htm" hours="" price="">This government agency oversees preservation, restoration, and development projects in Intramuros.</listing>
Get out
Manila's sprawling Rizal Park, the National Museum and many other attractions are located just over the border in the Ermita district, within sight of Intramuros' southern walls.