A Revisit To Cebu City’s 6 Historical Sites

The City of Cebu, Queen City of the South – more than just a highly industrialized and modernized city in the Philippines, it is the home of the richest and well-preserved historic architectures. Let’s take down the memory lane and see the famous historical structures that have surely brought Cebu to where it is now and where it will be in the future.

Magellan’s Cross (1521)

Currently located on Magellan Street, the famous symbolic Cross was put up on April 21, 1521 by the Spaniards and Portuguese led by Ferdinand Magellan. Rajah Humabon and Reyna Juana, together with their 400 followers, were baptized by Father Pedro Valderama in the same spot where the Cross is standing. They became the first baptized Christians in the Philippines. Today, the original Cross is enclosed and protected in a hollow cross made with Tindalo wood.

Basilica Minore del Santo Niño (1565)

Just a few walks away from the Magellan’s Cross, you arrive at Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. The Basilica enshrines the country’s oldest religious relic which is the image of Santo Niño de Cebu – a gift given to Reyna Juana. It was built by Father Andres de Urdaneta and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565. Different calamities destructed the historical structure, but it did not stop the devotees from visiting and praying to the holy image. There is even an annual celebration, which happens every third Sunday of January, called Sinulog.

Colon Street (1565)

As what the historians say, it is the oldest street in the country. The Spaniards under the rule of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi built the street in the same year the Basilica was constructed. Situated at metropolitan Cebu, it got its name from the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Today, it is surrounded with different business buildings and establishments, making it the center of commerce and trade. Although, the street has become modernized, its historic significance remains until now.

Fort San Pedro (1715)

This is the country’s smallest and the oldest fort located in Fort San Pedro Plaza Independencia, Cebu City. It was first constructed in 1565, and was completely finished in 1715 – that is 150 years after. The primary purpose of the fort was to protect the Spanish residents from pirate attacks. It had also stood as a witness to Cebu’s different historic accounts until the Japanese destroyed much of the fort’s impressive structures. During the rule of the Japanese, Fort San Pedro became a prison camp. Now, many foreign and local tourists pay a visit to the place and relieve the past through the fort’s remains.

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral (1909)

Known as The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and St. Vitalis, this magnificent Catholic church is just a stone’s throw away from Basilica Minore del Santo Niño and Fort San Pedro. This religious structure serves as the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu. According to historians, the construction of the church started in 1689. It was completed in 1909, but was reconstructed in 1950 after it was greatly devastated during the Second World War.

Heritage of Cebu Monument (2000)

Most local Cebuanos call this architectural site as the Parian Shrine since it is located in Plaze Parian, Colon Street, Cebu City. This is just a walking distance from the Cathdral. This monumental landmark showcases Cebu’s historical events from Rajah Humabon’s baptism to the beatification of Pedro Calungsod (Cebuano martyr). The monument was built by national artist Edgardo Castrillo.

These 6 historic architectural sites are just a few of Cebu’s finest works of art. They have been living for the longest time, and are still standing to preserve the rich history of Cebu. They are a great reminder of the struggles and success that Cebu has gone through all these years. And, no matter how much further and farther Cebu grows, as long as these sites still stand, Cebu will always have a way to look back on how it has begun to flourish.