Barasoain Church

About

The Barasoain Church was founded by Spanish Augustinian missionaries in 1859, and doubled as the first congress hall in the country. The Malolos Constitution was drafted here, and it hosted the inauguration of the First Philippine Republic on January 23, 1899. During the Filipino revolution, the church was known as "baras ng suwail," the "dungeon of the defiant", because it was a meeting place for anti-Spanish and anti-colonial illustrados. Because of its political importance, the church houses a museum dedicated to the important events that took place here, and the heritage of Filipino democracy in general. The building itself is an excellent example of the Philippine’s distinctive Baroque architecture, with its raw stone facade and lavish interior decorations with floral motifs and paintings of angels adorning the walls and ceilings. The Ecclesiastical Museum displays a collection of religious artefacts found in the area, including a staggering collection of holy infant statues.