Quiapo Church

The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene stands on Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, and the image inside it is the most venerated in the Philippines: a dark wooden statue of Christ carrying the cross, brought from Mexico in the seventeenth century, credited by devotees with miracles and touched or wiped with cloths by a continuous line of people every day the church is open. Friday is the traditional devotion day, when the queues run long and the plaza fills. On 9 January the Traslación carries the image through the streets of Manila in a procession that lasts many hours and draws crowds counted in the millions, with barefoot devotees pulling the carriage - one of the largest religious gatherings anywhere. The church itself, rebuilt after fires and expanded in the twentieth century, is less remarkable than what happens in it. Around Plaza Miranda the market sells herbs, candles, amulets and folk remedies, an old and much-discussed layer of Manila religious life.

History

The Franciscan friar Antonio de Nombella founded the church in 1588, and when it burned in 1791 the image of the Jesús Nazareno was saved. After the earthquake of 1863 the church was rebuilt and completed in 1899, and in 1933-1935 the architect Juan Nakpil rebuilt it in reinforced concrete, adding the dome and a second belfry; it was enlarged again from 1984 to 1986 (Wikipedia, Quiapo Church).

What to look for

• The Black Nazarene - the venerated image and its queue.
• Plaza Miranda - the crowded square outside.
• The Friday devotion - the weekly gathering of devotees.
• The market stalls - herbs, candles and amulets around the church.

When to go

Any day for a look; Friday for the weekly devotion. 9 January is the Traslación - extraordinary to witness, and extremely crowded and physically demanding.

Before you go

The area is dense, hot and congested, and pickpocketing is a real problem in the crowds. The Traslación is not a spectator event in any comfortable sense. It is a devotional site first.

Nearby

Binondo and Escolta are a short walk; the Metropolitan Theater and Intramuros are south.

Key facts