Philippine Landmarks That Were Taken From Other Countries
The Filipino obsession with trying to mimic counterparts in the West was a type of colonial mentality that peaked after WWII. Locals imitated the Western way of life in everything from fashion to fads. The Philippine entertainment industry produced its own Elvis Presley, Liz Taylor, James Dean, and Charlie Chaplin. Soon, landmarks from the Western world began to appear here, some of which were deliberately copied and a few of which were unintentional look-alikes.
ARCO DE EMPERADOR of ARCH DE TRIUMPH of France
Such was the inspiration embraced by award-winning Spanish sculptor Gines Serran Pagan in crafting the Arco de Emperador monument—the 19-meter tall, iconic arch monument in Arcovia City, Megaworld’s 12.3-hectare township along C-5 Road in Pasig City.
Artistry and greatness take the spotlight through Pagan’s nine massive sculptures standing proudly side-by-side atop the arch. This imposing masterpiece is composed of a victorious Emperor, three horses pulling his chariot, two lions named Pride and Passion, and two trumpeting angels coated in 24K gold.
The monument was first designed in 2013, but the actual work on the bronze sculpture began in 2015 and ended a year after. However, the last pieces – the two golden angels– were only completed late last year and installed just a few days ago.
THE LEANING WATER TOWER of San Fernando and THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA
The construction of Pisa’s leaning belfry began in August 1173 and took 199 years to complete. The tower began to tilt while being built, with a height ranging from 186 to 183 feet. It is currently leaning at 3.99 degrees. A version of the Italian campanile can be found in San Fernando, Pampanga, but the leaning structure is a NAWASA water tower built in 1929 for P10,000. It tilted over time due to subsidence and a shaky foundation. In 1947, an attempt was made to save it, but the cost was prohibitive. Fortunately, it stopped tilting in 1955. It forms an 87o angle with the horizontal (the normal angle is 90o).
SANTIAGO APOSTOL CHURCH of Betis, Pampanga and SISTINE CHAPEL of The Vatican.
The Sistine Chapel, formerly known as Cappella Magna, is located in the Apostolic Palace, which houses the Pope in the Vatican. It is famous for its ceilings, which are richly decorated with 15th and 16th-century frescoes depicting many biblical scenes and events from Christ’s life. Its Philippine counterpart can be found in the Betis Baroque Church, which was rebuilt in 1770 with concrete materials. During the tenure of its last Spanish priest, Fray Santiago Blanco, in 1939, the church underwent extensive renovation and beautification. The magnificent ceiling paintings are attributed to a number of artists, including the legendary Simon Flores, Isidoro C. Soto, a relative of literary great Juan Crisostomo Soto; Macario Ligon in the 1930s; and Victor Ramos (1922–1986) in the early 1980s, who repainted and restored nearly 80 percent of the ceiling artworks. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has designated the church as a National Cultural Treasure.
THE LINCOLN STATUE of Baguio City and the LINCOLN MEMORIAL of Washington D.C.
The Lincoln Memorial, located just across from the iconic Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., was built to honor President Abraham Lincoln. The seated statue of the great president was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers under the supervision of the sculptor, Daniel Chester French, in the expansive central hall. It took four years to complete the statue, which stands 19 feet (5.8 m) tall from head to foot. A smaller version can be found in Liberty Park, Camp John Hay, Baguio City. Abe, like his Washington counterpart, sits dignified on a chair, despite the fact that he is made of cast cement and has painted features that make him appear sadly comical. In the same park, there is also a replica of the Statue of Liberty.
LOURDES GROTTO of Bulacan, and the LOURDES GROTTO of Massabielle, France
Beginning on February 11, 1858, the Virgin appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in the Massabielle cave in Lourdes, France. The revelation that Our Lady was the Immaculate Conception culminated Our Lady’s apparition. Since then, the rock cave has served as the focal point of the Our Lady of Lourdes shrine. The religious grotto in Lourdes has been replicated in Barangay Graceville in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, and includes a small spring whose water, running beneath the Lourdes statue, is said to be miraculous, as is the spring in France.
CHRIST THE REDEEMER of Cagayan de Oro and CHRIST THE REDEEMER of Brazil
The 98-foot-tall concrete statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), with arms, open wide, stands on the peak of Corcovado Mountain, overlooking Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This art deco masterpiece was created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and executed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. The massive image was constructed between 1922 and 1931. There are at least three copies of Cristo Redentor in the Philippines, but the one in Barangay Balua, Cagayan de Oro, is the most faithful. The 30-foot-tall statue, which was finished in May 2012, stands on a 10-hectare plot of land owned by the Villar-owned Golden Haven memorial sanctuary.
STATUE OF LIBERTY of Intramuros and STATUE OF LIBERTY of New York
Lady Liberty, which stands illuminating the world on Staten Island in New York, is the most replicated symbol of American liberty. The 305-foot image was inaugurated in 1886 as a gift from France to the United States. An 8-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty once stood in Manila’s Baluarte de San Diego, Intramuros. The Philippines was one of the recipients of the bronze statue, which was commissioned in 1950 to commemorate the Boy Scouts of America’s 40th anniversary. It withstood attacks from student activists in the 1960s and 1970s before being relocated to the BSP headquarters in Ermita, Manila, for safekeeping.
Source: https://bit.ly/3EdGAzw
