The gates of Intramuros refer to the original eight gates of the Walled City of
Intramuros
Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila.
Present-day ...
in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, built during the
Spanish colonial era in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. The gates are called by the original Spanish word for "gate", ''puerta'' (plural: ''puertas'').
Gates facing the west
Puerta de Banderas
This gate was built in 1662 as the
governor-general's gate when the first governor's palace was still located in
Fort Santiago
Fort Santiago ( es, Fuerte de Santiago; fil, Kutà ng Santiago), built in 1571, is a citadel built by Spanish navigator and governor Miguel López de Legazpi for the newly established city of Manila in the Philippines. The defense fortress is lo ...
. It was destroyed during an earthquake and was never rebuilt.
Puerta de Postigo
''Postigo'' means "postern" or a small gate in Spanish. This gate was named after the nearby
Palacio del Gobernador
The Palacio del Gobernador () is a government building located in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. It is located southwest from Plaza de Roma and built in its current form in 1976. At present, the building houses the Intramuros Administration ...
. The first ''postigo'' was built several meters away but was walled up in 1662 when the present gate was constructed. The gate was then renovated in 1782 under the direction of military engineer Tomás Sanz. The gate led to the palaces of the governor-general and
archbishop of Manila
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila ( lat, Archidioecesis Manilensis; fil, Arkidiyosesis ng Maynilà; es, Arquidiócesis de Manila) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Philippines, encompassing ...
. The national hero
José Rizal passed through this gate from
Fort Santiago
Fort Santiago ( es, Fuerte de Santiago; fil, Kutà ng Santiago), built in 1571, is a citadel built by Spanish navigator and governor Miguel López de Legazpi for the newly established city of Manila in the Philippines. The defense fortress is lo ...
to his execution at
Bagumbayan field on December 30, 1896. It was damaged in the
Battle of Manila in 1945 and restored in 1968. The gate was excavated and restored from 1982 to 1983.
Puerta de Santa Lucia
The gate is one of the original entrances to Intramuros when the walls were built in 1603. It underwent improvements in the late 18th century including the addition of two side chambers added during renovations under by Governor-General
José Basco y Vargas
José Basco y Vargas, 1st Count of the Conquest of Batanes Islands ( (1733–1805) was a naval officer of the Spanish Navy who served as the 53rd governor of the Spanish Philippines under the Spanish Empire, from 1778 to 1787. An "economic minde ...
(1778-1787). A wooden marker commemorating the gate's new appearance was later installed over the entrance. The Puerta de Santa Lucia became a popular access point to
Malecón Drive, a
promenade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cl ...
along the shore of
Manila Bay
Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phi ...
. The whole gate was destroyed during the Battle of Manila in 1945 to allow the entry of American tanks and troops into the city. The side chambers were restored in 1968, and the gate itself was rebuilt in 1982.
Gate facing the south
Puerta Real
The original Real Gate (Royal Gate) was built in 1663 at the end of Calle Real de Palacio (now General Luna Street) and was used exclusively by the governor-general for state occasions. It was located west of the Baluarte de San Andrés and faced the old village of Bagumbayan. It was destroyed during the
British invasion of 1762 along with the removal of the village. The Puerta Real was rebuilt in 1780 and moved further west to its present location as part of the new defense plan for Intramuros. During the Battle of Manila, the gate was damaged. It was restored in 1969 with additional work done in 1989.
Gate facing the east
Puerta del Parián
The gate was named after the "
Parián de Arroceros", one of the earliest concentrations of Chinese merchants located across the city where the Metropolitan Theater now stands. Built in 1593, it is one of the earliest entrances to Intramuros. It became the official entrance of the governor-general in 1764, following the destruction of the Puerta Real during the British invasion. It was here that the newly appointed governor-general received the keys to the city from the ''Cabildo''. The gate was severely damaged by artillery fire during the Battle of Manila. Restoration work began in 1967 and was completed in 1982.
Gates facing the north
Puerta de Almacenes
It was built in 1690 for trading with the other side of the river and continually renovated until its completion in 1739. The gate lasted until 1903 when American military engineers demolished the walls for widening the river wharves along Intramuros.
Puerta de Santo Domingo/Puerta de Aduana
This gate named after the nearby old
Santo Domingo Church
Santo Domingo Church, formally known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary ( Spanish: ''Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario''; Filipino: ''Pambansang Dambana ng Mahal na Birhen ng Santo Rosaryo''), i ...
, and built in the 18th century during the renovation of the riverside defenses. It opened to the river wharves, but American engineers tore down the gate and fortifications in 1903 to open a road to Intramuros from Magallanes Drive.
Puerta de Isabel II
The last gate to be built in Intramuros was opened in 1861 as a solution to the heavy pedestrian traffic outside Parian Gate to the
Puente de España
The Puente de España, or the ''Bridge of Spain'', was a bridge that spanned the Pasig River in the Philippines, connecting the areas of Binondo and Ermita, Manila on Calle Nueva (now E.T. Yuchengco St) with central Manila. The span was the olde ...
(Bridge of Spain) and Binondo.
In front of it is the
Queen Isabel II statue honoring the then-reigning
Spanish monarch. The gate became part of the route of the ''
tranvía'' (
streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...
) system in 19th century Manila. It was damaged during the
Battle of Manila in 1945 and was restored in 1966.
References
External links
*
{{Intramuros
Buildings and structures in Intramuros
Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Metro Manila
Spanish colonial infrastructure in the Philippines
Manila-related lists
City gates