
Media launch of Museo de Intramuros. Photo by Pia Ranada/Rappler
By Pia Ranada/rapler.com – Manila’s famous fortress city has something new to offer history buffs and travelers: Museo de Intramuros.
The new museum will open its doors to the public on Thursday, May 2, with admission kept free for its first 6 months of operation. Operating hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Friday.
Behind the museum’s towering wooden front doors are rooms full of religious paintings by early Filipino artists, antique religious vessels and carvings, and an exhibit about Intramuros’ evolution as a city.
All these are part of the collection of Intramuros Administration (IA), amassed through the years beginning with the efforts of its founding administrator Jaime Laya in the late 1970s.
Media were able to take a sneak peak on Tuesday, April 30, and speak with IA Administrator Guiller Asido and museum staff.
Museo de Intramuros is found on the corner of Arzobispo and Anda streets, rising from the site of the old San Ignacio Church and Jesuit Mission House.
Time has failed to completely erase these old structures, built between 1878 and 1889. The museum kept intact an ancient cistern and arch, bringing visitors closer to colonial-era Intramuros.
Most of the collection currently on display are religious artifacts and art made by Filipinos during the Spanish colonial period.
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