Earthquake Baroque

Paoay Church, an earthquake baroque architecture in the Philippines, with thick buttresses supporting the walls.

Binondo Church after the 1863 earthquake. Its façade was characteristic of those to be seen in Manila with typical elements like lateral towers, trapezium-shaped gable ends topped with a vaulted niche, small octagonal-shaped windows, and thick buttresses supporting the walls.

Earthquake Baroque is a style of Baroque architecture found in places like the Philippines and Guatemala, which suffered destructive earthquakes during the 17th century and 18th century, where large public buildings, such as churches were rebuilt in a Baroque style. Similar events lead to the Pombaline architecture in Lisbon following the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and Sicilian Baroque in Sicily following the 1693 earthquake.

Characteristics

In the Philippines, destruction of earlier churches from frequent earthquakes have made the church proportion lower and wider; side walls were made thicker and heavily buttressed for stability during shaking. The upper structures were made with lighter materials.

Bell towers are usually lower and stouter compared to towers in less seismically active regions of the world. Towers have thicker girth in the lower levels, progressively narrowing to the topmost level.

La Merced Church in Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala with its squatty and thick belfries

External links

• "Earthquake Baroque: Paoay Church in the Ilocos" from the Heritage Conservation Society
• San Pedro de las Huertas, an Earthquake Baroque church in Guatemala
• Earthquake baroque churches of the Philippines