Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery: PIA/NCCA Heritage Caravan
The Philippine Information Agency/National Commission for Culture and the Arts Heritage Caravan
November 15-18, 2018
The Philippine Information Agency/National Commission for Culture and the Arts Heritage Caravan
November 15-18, 2018
The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery is a national historical landmark and museum in Barangay Bambang, Nagcarlan, Laguna supervised by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. It was built in 1845 under the supervision of Franciscan priest, Fr. Vicente Velloc as a public burial site and its underground crypt exclusively for Spanish friars, prominent town citizens and members of elite Catholic families. It is dubbed as the only underground cemetery in the country
The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery was declared as a National Historical Landmark by virtue of Presidential Decree no. 260, dated August 1, 1973 with amendments by Administrative Order 1505, dated June 11, 1978. Since the declaration, no more burials were allowed in the cemetery. It underwent renovations before it was again opened to the public during the unveiling of the marker in October 24, 1981. The oldest tomb is dated 1886 while the last interment was in 1982 when it was formally declared as a National Historical Landmark.
The Baroque cemetery is located two kilometers south of downtown Nagcarlan that takes the shape of a circular cemetery across a 1 hectare property. It is surrounded by octagonal stone walls made of red tiles with iron-wrought grills. A façade or arch of about 18 feet high with two iron grill gates leads to a red tiled pathway across a green space leading to the cemetery chapel. The chapel containing a statue of Santo Sepulcro serves as a place for requiem or funeral mass. Located 15 feet below the chapel is an underground graveyard consisting of only 36 tombs arranged in four walls . The crypt and chapel is connected by two flight of steps. The first nine steps lead to a Spanish inscription that reads:
Go forth, Mortal man, full of life
Today you visit happily this shelter,
But after you have gone out,
Remember, you have a resting place here,
Prepared for you.
The last six steps lead to the underground crypt.
The cemetery has 240 apartment-type niches on the walls where each side of the chapel contains 120 niches. Overall, there are 276 niches.
Visit the museum first before you enter the cemetery for the guidelines and an overview of the place and its history.
The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery was declared as a National Historical Landmark by virtue of Presidential Decree no. 260, dated August 1, 1973 with amendments by Administrative Order 1505, dated June 11, 1978. Since the declaration, no more burials were allowed in the cemetery. It underwent renovations before it was again opened to the public during the unveiling of the marker in October 24, 1981. The oldest tomb is dated 1886 while the last interment was in 1982 when it was formally declared as a National Historical Landmark.
The Baroque cemetery is located two kilometers south of downtown Nagcarlan that takes the shape of a circular cemetery across a 1 hectare property. It is surrounded by octagonal stone walls made of red tiles with iron-wrought grills. A façade or arch of about 18 feet high with two iron grill gates leads to a red tiled pathway across a green space leading to the cemetery chapel. The chapel containing a statue of Santo Sepulcro serves as a place for requiem or funeral mass. Located 15 feet below the chapel is an underground graveyard consisting of only 36 tombs arranged in four walls . The crypt and chapel is connected by two flight of steps. The first nine steps lead to a Spanish inscription that reads:
Go forth, Mortal man, full of life
Today you visit happily this shelter,
But after you have gone out,
Remember, you have a resting place here,
Prepared for you.
The last six steps lead to the underground crypt.
The cemetery has 240 apartment-type niches on the walls where each side of the chapel contains 120 niches. Overall, there are 276 niches.
Visit the museum first before you enter the cemetery for the guidelines and an overview of the place and its history.
It mus be noted that taking photos at the underground crypt and chapel is prohibited so I really need to discipline myself not to take photos.
You can freely take pictures outside the underground crypt and reminisce the historical place. The place reminded me the separation of the rich and friars to common people since they were buried in the underground crypt while common people were outside in the apartment style
This only shows that there is no equality during that time and until we are all struggling to keep up with life and work for no classification whether you are rich or poor since what is essential is to be human and treat each other with respect and equality.
You can freely take pictures outside the underground crypt and reminisce the historical place. The place reminded me the separation of the rich and friars to common people since they were buried in the underground crypt while common people were outside in the apartment style
This only shows that there is no equality during that time and until we are all struggling to keep up with life and work for no classification whether you are rich or poor since what is essential is to be human and treat each other with respect and equality.
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#PrideOfRace
#ProudOfHeritage
#HeritageCaravan
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#PIARegion1
#PIANCCAHeritageCaravan #Calabarzon #Laguna #Quezon #Rizal
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