basilica of st. martin de tours

Basilica Menor de San Martin de Tours was not only the largest, grandest but also the loveliest church I've been to so far.Every old church in the Philippines has its own unique architecture that will leave you awestruck, especially when you hear stories on how it was built using only what they have during that time: air dried bricks, stones, even eggwhites and a whole lot of ingenuity. These magnificent structures should withstand multiple of natural calamities that struck the country and in spite of all efforts for more stability, the built churches remained frequent fragile objects.Same with this Basilica, you will see the grand facade on the outside but as you inspect thoroughly, you will see the steady process of preservation. Take your time to climb up the bell tower when you visit this church, a panoramic view of the Taal Lake and the mountainous region of Batangas awaits you. The bell tower and museum tour at the second floor is free but it is always great to share your blessings by making a small donation as an effort to help the ongoing preservation of this church.

Loveliest church by far... kinda takes you back in time when the abusive Spanish friars ruled most places they colonized...Taal's historic ambiance and exotic "maliputo" and "tawilis" dishes cooked to perfection by the proud Batangueños caps thia day visit...

I love this Basilica because it reminds me of the Basilicas in Rome. It's sturdy, tall and grand. Visiting this place will remind us on the history of this part of the region and how active Taal volcano is.The parking area in front destroys the beauty of the Basilica.Check also the bell infront of the Basilica. That's history exposed!

Super love this old church. Strategically located in the heritage town of Taal Batangas, the biggest i've seen so far, in fact, the biggest in Asia. Easiest route from Manila is through SLEX, exit in Sta.Rosa all the way to Tagaytay and Diokno highway, left turn to Lemery and there after the town proper is the town of Taal. You can never miss it because it is so huge, with a lot of parking space. The inside of the basilica is just so amazing and peaceful. Just below the basilica is the Taal park which is equally photo worthy. Worth going to for a piece of serenity and history.

Yesterday after the Awana World Lead Conf in Tagaytay, friends Jerry and Janette came by to see us (my wife Ritchell and I) at CCT. As planned, we proceeded to the town of Taal to visit its budding Heritage village. The town is about 45 kms away from the Conf venue. It took us about an hour drive to get there without any hassle at all. Traffic is light and roads are in good condition. The view along the way that overlooks the lake exhibits its alluring beauty. We reached our destination after a short while. Seeing the town for the first time gave me a relaxing and peaceful feeling as I gazed upon the town folks. We continued traversing the streets and observed the quiet and clean surrounding. This somehow reveals a truly historical and cultural landmark. It was made more evident by the colonial structures (Casas de Taal). It's good that they were able to preserve this, just like what Vigan did. The architectural design of the Basilica of St. Martin is truly amazing. Our ascent to the belfry made us see the whole town from above, with the lake as its backdrop. For our final destination, we headed to Villa Tortuga which offers a direct colonial experience complete with costume and topped with a sumptuous early dinner. One of the servants was already waiting for us in the main gate as we arrived. They all made us feel like 'ilustrados" and narrated that the big house had its name originated from turtles which were flourishing by the river just beside the house. This made the temperature in the house cool and comfy. Dinner was served and we did a lot of tell-tales while enjoying our time together. It was almost dusk after dinner and it was time to bid goodbye. We had our final chit chats and were then politely assisted as we exited, filled with good food and fond memories. Undeniably, it was truly a unique and unforgettable experience.Emilio L. Tacata, Jr.

Taal Basilica has always been close to my heart, my husband and I became boyfriend/ girlfriend after attending a baptismal in this church. Just a few years ago we came back to have a heritage tour in the town and this church is included in our guided itinerary. It was the first time I saw the interiors of the church from the convent to its comedors and up on the bell tower..It was wonderfully preserved. Some areas has been reconstructed but they followed the original architectural design of the church. Reputed as one of the biggest church in Asia, this religious edifice is truly a pride of Batangas. Im a batanguena and im so proud of it! Please visit my blog for photos and stories http://mommyqueenelizabeth.blogspot.com/2011/09/basilica-de-san-martin-de-tours.html

I went to the basilica for the first time many years ago when I wasn't into photography yet. Since our photo group visited last year, I have returned many times, bringing friends who are always equally impressed by its sheer size and magnificence. Some provincial friends have even remarked that the basilica is probably 10 times the size of their churches. I love the intricate design on the dome and throughout the ceiling. The very old look of the church's interiors, especially the two side chambers, create visions in my head of days in the distant past. The tiled floors look like they have been walked on for hundreds of years by men, great ones and plebeians. Quite simply, this is the jewel of the heritage town of Taal.

Remember to bring your camera with you. Taal is a place where you can see the old Philippines, if you get what I mean. This huge Church is surrounded by small museums. The church is wide, and I love the interior design. From the ceiling, down to the floor, it's beautiful. A lot of the Taaleño visit the place. If you're in the area, I recommend you visiting the place.

Located just in front of he towns municipal hall and beside the tourist info center. The church has a very nice location set on a higher place in the town proper. Once inside you can see its pristine grandeur with all the elaborate handpaintings in the walls and ceiling. Centuries old treasure of Taal. There is an adoration chapel on the right of the cathedral. A museum on the second floor outside is open to the public but there is not much to see though. But the open verandas have a picturesque view of the old houses with the green lush mountains as backdrop.Vendors outside sell delicious yet cheap sweets.

Great place to attend a mass and visit. Just sit near the electric fans so its not stifling hot. Beware of the candle vendors, they would hound you until you give in, especially the kids. Just say no and they'll get it.There were a few trashed corners inside the church, where they stored broken tables of some sort, but it's towards the back so it's okay.Try to get there early so you can visit their museum. They also have a small chapel next to the massive church where they probably do their adoration vigils/services. Even the restrooms (comfort rooms) are clean and the lady who maintains them is very nice and has info about the church as well.The outside walls has the peeling paint, but the architectural details are still there. the wooden details above the columns in front that have fallen off are preserved in the museum.The guards by the museum are very helpful, polite and welcoming. They encourage you to take a lot of pictures.The grounds are well kept. There is a "TAAL" structure down the hill of the church parking, where you can take pictures.We didn't get a chance to go up to the tower where the bell is because it was already late in the day but when you're in the area I also recommend the Our Lady of Caysasay Well.

This is reputedly the biggest Catholic church in Southeast Asia (maybe even Asia?). And, just by looking at its facade as you approach, any doubt lingering in your mind will be easily erased. It is indeed one massive, awesome structure. Enter the church and you will immediately be struck even more by its sheer size. If you're lucky (and fit, mind you) to be able to go up the church's tower, you will be awed further by the fantastic, panoramic view of the town, of the famous Taal Lake and other sights up there. Bring your camera and binoculars. Tremendous photo-ops and selfies here.

One of the highlights when you visit this century old church is you can climb the bell tower. If you are a claustrophobic person this activity is not for you, but if you can endure it you will be rewarded with the beautiful view of the entire town and the taal lake.

It is considered as one of the biggest cathedrals in Asia. Renovation has just finished, this made the church brighter but the premises still needs some tidying up ( the grounds can be messy after a service). Just loitering around the premises is enough to give a traveler or tourist an idea about the importance of the church to the people of Taal and the Philippines. The vendors can be a little persistent in selling their wares and this can be annoying to some. But talking to some of them can be a rewarding experience because of the stories they can share. There is a small exhibit/museum that you can look at to better understand what the meaning and value of the Cathedral is to the Taaleños. Going on a Sunday morning is something to behold especially for a foreigner, the services of the church and the activities (vendors and their wares) in the church grounds is definitely worth visiting.

Beautifully preserved Church. Take your time just sitting at the pews, and taking in the spirit of the place. Listen to the afternoon chants of the prayerful locals. The premises are a little messy, manly due to some small maintenance work going on. The priests' quarters is home to a small museum. This is free, but a guided tour up the Belfry would set you back 50php per pax. well worth every centavo. Look for a kindly male guard named Soriano. Knowledgeable fellow, a delight to be with. His guided tour was the highlight of our visit.

I lived in the area about 50 years ago and went to school in the adjoining school. Thus my memories are from a long time ago. They've renovated the church since then and I believe it looks a lot better than the last time I was there. Everything is a lot brighter.My best memories from childhood were from climbing the tower to see the view from the top so I made a point to try to find how to do this. It turns out that you go up one floor to a kind of historical museum first. I just took a quick look at the museum, although it did seem to be interesting. I was more interested in climbing the tower. I was wondering if there would still be bats that fly past your head while climbing up the steps in the passageway. I didn't experience them in the passageway but at the top my son found a whole group of bats huddling on the very high ceiling in a safe distance from visitors.The view up there is gorgeous and well worth taking the time to climb up.