Intramuros

Intramuros (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.

Manila Cathedral, facing the main square of Intramuros

From the city's foundation in 1571 to the end of Spanish rule in 1898, Intramuros was Manila.

The Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi 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. 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 U.S. took control of the Philippines at the end of the Spanish-American War.

San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 1945, during the fierce Battle of Manila between American, Filipino and Japanese forces, Intramuros was almost completely destroyed. 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), due in part to a serious lack of funds and the existence of new structures.

A Calesa parked in from of Manila Cathedral

It's hard to get hopelessly lost in Intramuros, thanks to the district's orderly street plan. General Luna (also known by its old name, Calle Real del Palacio) is the closest thing Intramuros has to a main street and gives visitors easy access to most of the major attractions, including San Agustín Church and Manila Cathedral. Follow this street all the way to its northwestern tip and you'll find yourself in front ofFort Santiago; go the other way and you'll eventually end up in Rizal Park, which is just over the border in the nearby Ermita district.

By 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.


On 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.

If you do lose your bearings, don't panic. Keep in mind that except for a small section near the river, the entire 

district is surrounded by walls - so there probably isn't much of a chance that you'll inadvertently end up in the wider city beyond. A quick look at a map (and perhaps a little help from passers-by) should easily put you back on track.

Main gate of Port Santiago

Ruins Baluarte_de_San_Diego

Statue of King Carlos IV of Spain in Plaza de Roma

Casa_Manila_(courtyard)

Walls, gates, and fortifications

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!):

• Fort Santiago, Santa Clara (on the NW end of Plaza Moriones),  8AM-6PM daily. 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, a small museum dedicated to his life and work, is housed in a restored section of one of the fort's former barracks. ₱75, ₱50 students/children.  edit

• Postigo del Palacio, Santa Lucia (a short distance from the back of the Palacio del Gobernador). 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 Santa Lucia

• Baluartillo de San Jose and Reducto de San Pedro

• Baluarte de San Diego, Santa Lucia cor. Muralla,. Dating from the 17th century, this formidable bastion surrounds the remains of the round fort ofNuestra 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.  edit

• Puerta Real and Revellin de Real del Bagumbayan

• Baluarte de San Andres

• Baluarte de San Francisco de Dilao

• Puerta del Parian and Revellin del Parian

• Baluarte de San Gabriel

• Puerta de Isabel II, Magallanes Drive (near Colegio de San Juan de Letrán).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 gat

Plazas and monuments

• Plaza de Roma, General Luna (Calle Real del Palacio) cor. Andres Soriano (Aduana) (in front of Manila Cathedral),. 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 ownplaza 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.  edit

• 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.