{{Short description|Roman Catholic church in Isabela, Philippines}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox church | name = Tumauini Church | full_name = Saint Matthias Parish Church | native_name = {{native name|es|Iglesia Parroquial de San Matías}} | image = Allan Jay Quesada - Tumauini Cathedral - afternoon exterior DSC 0158.jpg | imagelink = | alt = | caption = Church [[façade]] and [[bell tower]] in 2017 | pushpin_map = Luzon mainland#Philippines | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_mapsize = | map_caption = Location in [[Luzon]]##Location in the Philippines | coordinates = {{coord|17.275395|N|121.807124|E|dim:30_region:PH-00_type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}} | location = [[Tumauini, Isabela|Tumauini]], [[Isabela (province)|Isabela]] | country = [[Philippines]] | denomination = [[Roman Catholic]] | website = | former_name = | founded = 1707 | founder = Francisco Nuñez, [[Dominican Order|O.P]] | dedication = [[Saint Matthias]] | dedicated = | consecrated = | events = | status = [[Parish church]] | functional_status = Active | heritage_designation = [[List of National Cultural Treasures in the Philippines|National Cultural Treasure]] | designated = | architect = Fr. Domingo Forto | architectural_type = [[Church building]] | style = [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] | groundbreaking = 1783 | completed = 1805 | construction_cost = | closed = | demolished = | capacity = | archdiocese = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao|Tuguegarao]] | metropolis = | diocese = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan|Ilagan]] | province = [[Isabela (province)|Isabela]] | district = | archbishop = [[Sergio Utleg|Most Rev. Sergio L. Utleg, D.D]] | bishop = [[David William Antonio|Most Rev. David William V. Antonio, D.D.]] | priest = Very Rev. Gregorio Marvic C. Uanan, JCD, JV }}
'''Saint Matthias Parish Church''', commonly known as '''Tumauini Church''', is a [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[church building|church]] in the municipality of [[Tumauini, Isabela]], Philippines, within the jurisdiction of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan|Diocese of Ilagan]]. It became a separate [[parish]] independent from [[Cabagan, Isabela|Cabagan]] under the advocacy of [[Saint Matthias]] in 1751.
The church, known for its brick, [[Baroque architecture|Baroque-style architecture]], was declared a [[List of National Cultural Treasures in the Philippines|National Cultural Treasure]] by the [[National Museum of the Philippines]]. Together with the churches of [[Boljoon, Cebu|Boljoon]], [[Guiuan, Eastern Samar|Guiuan]], [[Loboc, Bohol|Loboc]] and [[Lazi, Siquijor|Lazi]], the Tumauini Church has been considered for the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage]] Tentative List since 2006 under the collective group of [[Baroque Churches of the Philippines]] (Extension).
== History == [[File:San Matias Church inside top (Tumauini, Isabela; 11-23-2022).jpg|thumb|left|Church interior in 2022]]
The first church made of [[Nypa fruticans|nipa]] and other light materials was built by the [[Order of Preachers|Dominican]] priest Francisco Nuñez in 1707, and dedicated to [[Saint Matthias]].<ref name="nhcp">{{harvnb|National Historical Institute|1993|p=176}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url = https://ph.news.yahoo.com/five-unique-churches-philippines-082825910.html|title = Five unique churches in the Philippines|date = September 20, 2012|access-date = September 11, 2014|website = Yahoo News Philippines|publisher = loQal.ph|last = Mangubat|first = Kaye|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922114739/http://ph.news.yahoo.com/five-unique-churches-philippines-082825910.html|archive-date=September 22, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Tumauini became an independent parish from [[Cabagan, Isabela|Cabagan]] in 1751.<ref name="nhcp" /> The current church was built under the auspices of another Dominican, Domingo Forto, in 1783 and later continued by the priest Antonio Herrera in 1788.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url = http://www2.hawaii.edu/~gaspar/tumaui.html|title = Flowers in Brick: The Tumauini Church in Isabela|date = 1996|access-date = October 9, 2014|last = Gaspar|first = Roger|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090801045947/http://www2.hawaii.edu/~gaspar/tumaui.html|archive-date = August 1, 2009}}</ref> In constructing the church, Forto hired artisans from as far south as [[Pampanga]].<ref name=":1" /> It was completed in 1805.<ref name="nhcp" />
The church was damaged during the [[Second World War]]; a faithful reconstruction program followed, with undamaged parts of the church building retained.<ref name=":0" />
== Features == Tumauini is an ultra-baroque church known for its extensive use of red bricks on its exterior and interior ornamentations.<ref name=":1" /> Brick was used due to lack of good quality stones in the area.<ref>{{harvnb|Lim-Castillo|2007|p=117}}</ref>
=== Façade === [[File:Tumauini Church.jpg|thumb|left|The church's main [[portal (architecture)|portal]]]]
The church building is made entirely of ornately designed red bricks in its façade and its interior walls.<ref name=":0" /> A closer look at the brick façade shows numbers and dates for the correct sequence of the bricks in Forto's design.<ref name=":1" /> The façade is flanked by two pseudo-[[Corinthian order|Corinthian]] columns and [[niche (architecture)|niche]]s, one located above the entrance and the two remaining larger niches on each side of the columns.<ref name=":1" /> The church's circular [[pediment]] is unique relative to all other churches built during the [[History of the Philippines (1521–1898)|Spanish Era]].<ref name=":1" />
=== Belfry === Attached to the church's façade is a unique cylindrical [[belfry (architecture)|belfry]] built in 1805.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?igm=2&i=201|title = Significant Examples of Church Architecture in the Philippines|access-date = September 11, 2014|publisher = National Commission for Culture and the Arts|last = Villalon|first = Augusto|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141014235755/http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?igm=2&i=201|archive-date = October 14, 2014}}</ref> It is the only known Spanish colonial era cylindrical tower in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.interaksyon.com/lifestyle/why-visit-isabela-this-summer-10-great-reasons-to-check-out-the-queen-province-of-the-philippines|title = Why visit Isabela this summer? 10 great reasons to check out the Queen Province of the Philippines|date = March 17, 2013|access-date = September 11, 2014|work=[[Interaksyon]]|last = Ortiguero|first = Romsanne}}</ref> The tiered belfry notably resembles a [[wedding cake]].<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?i=17|title = The Restoration of 26 Philippine Churches|date = September 29, 2003|access-date = September 11, 2014|publisher = National Commission for Culture and the Arts|last = Alba|first = Reinerio|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140903081258/http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?i=17|archive-date = September 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/sundaylifestyle/sundaylifestyle/view/20110410-330283/Edifices-of-a-peoples-faith|title = Edifices of a people's faith|date = April 10, 2011|access-date = September 14, 2014|newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|last = Enriquez|first = Marge|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141023173450/http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/sundaylifestyle/sundaylifestyle/view/20110410-330283/Edifices-of-a-peoples-faith|archive-date = October 23, 2014|url-status = dead}}</ref>
The bell housed within has bullet holes but was never recast.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?igm=2&i=287|title = What to do with an Old Church (or Mosque or House)?|access-date = October 9, 2014|publisher = National Commission for Culture and the Arts|last = Jose|first = Regalado Trota}}</ref>
=== ''Convento'' === The ruins of the church's ''convento'' ([[clergy house]]) are located on the [[gospel side]] of the church.<ref name=":0" />
== Historical and cultural declarations == [[File:Tumauini Church Marker (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Church [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|NHI]] historical marker installed in 1989]]
Tumauini Church was declared a [[List of National Cultural Treasures in the Philippines|National Cultural Treasure]] by the [[National Museum of the Philippines]]. The [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines]] declared Tumauini Church a National Historic Landmark on February 24, 1989.<ref name=":2" />
It is also being considered for addition to the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage|World Heritage Sites]] of the Philippines under the [[Baroque Churches of the Philippines]] (Extension) with the churches of [[Boljoon Church|Patrocinio de María]] in [[Boljoon, Cebu|Boljoon]], [[Cebu (province)|Cebu]]; [[Guiuan Church|La Inmaculada Concepción]] in [[Guiuan, Eastern Samar|Guiuan]], [[Eastern Samar|Samar]]; [[Loboc Church|San Pedro Ápostol]] in [[Loboc, Bohol|Loboc]], [[Bohol]]; and [[Lazi Church|San Isidro Labrador]] in [[Lazi, Siquijor|Lazi]], [[Siquijor]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/3860/|title = Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension)|access-date = October 9, 2014|publisher = UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}</ref>
== Notes == {{reflist|30em}}
== Bibliography== {{refbegin}} *{{Cite book|title = Eggs in Cookery: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium of Food and Cookery 2006|last = Lim-Castillo|first = Pia|publisher = Oxford Symposium|year = 2007|isbn =9781903018545 |pages = 117|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=cfP6jHmSLnMC&pg=PT117|editor-last = Hosking|editor-first = Richard|chapter = Eggs in Philippine Church Architecture and its Cuisine }} *{{Cite book|title = Historical Markers: Regions I–IV and CAR|publisher = National Historical Institute (Philippines)|year = 1993|isbn = 9715380611|location = Manila|pages = 176|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=AvBuAAAAMAAJ |ref={{harvid|National Historical Institute|1993|p=176}}}} {{refend}}
== External links == * {{Commons category-inline}} * {{Facebook|CatholicTumauini}}
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan}} {{World Heritage Sites in the Philippines}} {{National Cultural Treasures of the Philippines}}
[[Category:National Cultural Treasures of the Philippines]] [[Category:Roman Catholic church buildings in Isabela (province)]] [[Category:National Historical Landmarks of the Philippines]] [[Category:Baroque church buildings in the Philippines]] [[Category:World Heritage Tentative List for the Philippines]] [[Category:Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan]]