Architecture

Convent

    Typical to Spanish colonial churches in the Philippines, the convent of the Church of Santa Maria is designed after the traditional "bahay na bato" or Spanish stone house. The convent is accessible through the escalera mayor or main stairway, with an entrasuelo or a room in the mezzanine floor for guests. At the second level is the sala mayor, a large open room for receiving guests, with the adjoining volada or balcony overlooking the church patio. Another area, the sala menor, is located beside the azotea. The comedor or dining area and the cocina or kitchen completes the second level. The convent has four bedrooms for the priests. The thick adobe walls complement the solid wood flooring of the convent. The high coffered ceiling and wide windows provide natural lighting and ventilation to the area. Antique Capodimonte chandeliers with candle-like bulbs light the interior at night while paintings of famous Marian titles in the Philippines adorn the wall.