Our Lady of the Gate Church and Mayon Volcano
When I arrived in Legazpi City, I didn’t really know what places to visit. One of the places which was recommended on the internet was the old church in Daraga. There was bound to be an old church here. It is said to be one of the most visited old churches in the country but I never even heard of this church. The church sits on top of a hill in the middle of the city of Daraga which is right next to Legazpi city. There is a small climb to the top of the hill to access the church. The church is quite old as far as Philippine churches go.
A Door in Our Lady of the Gate in Daraga
It was built in 1773 using volcanic stone. It is interesting how indigenous materials are used to build churches. In Bohol, they used coral stone for their churches. This goes the same for northern Philippines. The abundance of volcanic stone is obviously due to the presence of the nearby Mayon Volcano. It sort of became a main church because of the destruction of the nearby Cagsawa church, whose ruins can be seen to this day. When you look at the church, it does appear to be really old. The details of the facade have been worn away over time. The church is whitewashed and lot of parts are already exposing the volcanic rock underneath. Considering that it is only almost 250 years old, it looks much older than that.
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