Baroqish

The baroque period is the Church's response to the protestant reformation and can be linked to the counter reformation. The architecture represented both the power and wealth of the Church as well as accessibility to the emotions because of its embellishments. The style focused more on the interior rather than the exterior the features of Baroque architecture are in churches broader naves and sometimes oval forms, architectural elements that are intentionally left incomplete, the use of "chiaroscuro", several windows that provide uniform lighting, use of ornaments and colors, the external facade is often conveys a dramatic projection, the interior is a canvas it is used as a medium for painting, sculpture and stucco, union of painting and architecture, and lastly pear - shaped domes.

Okay, crap what I said, the previous was a VERY BORING post. But not necessarily all of it since those are still facts. I'll just add a fresh perspective to this blog, and that would be based on what I saw during my visit to one of the most famous baroque churches here in the Philippines. Namely, San Agustin Church, this church is very famous because it is recognized by UNESCO as a "World Heritage Site" and the oldest church standing in the Philippines also proclaimed to be a National Historical Landmark by the government in 1976. Well that was just a bit of trivia, If you first enter the Church you will immediately notice that the main church doors are locked and you cannot enter through there. It is usually closed and is only open during special events such as weddings. You will need to enter through its own museum. The museum basically is a compound around the church and it houses a lot of artifacts that have survived up until this day. As you go through the museum you will be able to gain access to the choir loft and spectacular view of the church interior from there. From the choir loft you will notice the the interior is in the form of a cross or a latin cross to be exact which is basically the most common form of a cross. This kind of plan is very noticeable in other church architecture styles as well. The entrance of the church is very deceptive since you will not notice that it is baroque in nature unless you take a good look at the carvings on the door. Which has very noticeable baroque touches. Another thing worth noting is that San Agustin Church has a trompe l'oeil painting in its ceiling, a characteristic of baroque architecture. As most of us know church architecture is very grand and majestic even though San Agustin Church lacks it in its facade it more than made up for it in its interior.