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Region
7: Central Visayas ••• Southern Cebu
Pardo
Santo
Tomás de Villanueva Parish
The fortress-like
façade of Pardo church built was built between 1880-93. The
town was created by a government decree of 10 March 1863. It became
an independent parish, through a diocesan decree of 10 April 1866,
after being a visita of San
Nicolas. Fr. Domingo Sanchez built a temporary structure while the
church was still under San Nicolas. In 1866, Fr. Meliton Talegon
was named parish priest and on 16 September 1877 reports to the
provincial that a church of tabique pampango
and nipa, built ten year previous
is in ruinous condition. A document from that same year presents
the project proposal of Domingo de Escondrillas, the district engineer
of Cebu. Escondrillas is credited with designing other churches,
notably Loon in Bohol. He proposed a church in the Latin-Byzantine
Order as there was no such church in that style in the district.
Bureaucratic red tape prevented securing permits to build, meanwhile,
the ruinous church was destroyed by an earthquake on 25 November
1877. Fr. Manuel Ibeas began construction following Escondrillas'
plans.
Heritage
Features:
A massive bell tower forms the central part of the façade.
Rising to five stories and terminating in a pinnacle, the tower's
quadrilateral plan is modified by a grouping of pilasters from the
first to the third story and the truncated corners of the last two
floors. Decorating the second story is a rose window with triangle
and Divine eye embellishing it. Arches blind and open decorate the
upper registers and on the fourth level occuli flanked by Tuscan
columns decorate the arch. The rest of the façade is recessed
and flanked by round towers, capped by low domes. Above the façade
runs a balcony pierced by arches.

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