|
Our Lady of Abandoned Church
Santa Ana, Manila
1578
The Church of Santa Ana stands on the site of the first Franciscan
mission establidhed outside Manila in 1578. The church was built under the supervision of
Fr. Vicente Ingles, OFM. The cornerstone of the present church was laid on September 12, 1720
by Francisco dela Cuesta, then Archbishop of Manila and Acting Governor General of the Philippines.
On October 1966, the
inner patio and surrounding areas of this centuries-old church were excavated by the archaeologist team of the National Museum headed by Doctor Robert Fox. The project yielded rich materials on pre-Spanish Manila.
The oldest artifact found in the inner patio of Santa Ana Church dates back to the late 11th century A.D.
– a beautiful blue and white Chinese bowl with floral designs. The rest
are potteries and Chinese artifacts which date back to the 12th and 13th centuries A.D.
From the cover story:
The Philamlife Magazine – vol. xv.#2. March-April 1967 issue. | 
