Cagsawa Ruins

The Cagsawa Ruins are the remnants of a 16th-century Franciscan church, the Cagsawa church. It was originally built in the town of Cagsawa in 1587 but was burned down by Dutch pirates in 1636. It was rebuilt in 1724 by Fr. Francisco Blanco, but was destroyed again, along with the town of Cagsawa, in February 1, 1814, during the eruption of the Mayon Volcano.The ruins are currently located in Barangay Busay, Cagsawa, in the municipality of Daraga, Albay, Philippines. It is part of Cagsawa Park and is protected and maintained by the municipal government of Daraga and the National Museum of the Philippines, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. The International Tourism Bourse, one of the world’s top travel trade shows based in Berlin, has even recognized the site as one of the places to visit in Asia.LocationThe Cagsawa ruins are located 2.2km from the town of Daraga and are approximately 8km from the city of Legazpi. They are also 3.3km from the Legazpi Airport and a 55-minute flight from Manila. By bus, the location is 12 to 14 hours away from Manila.It is considered symbolic of the dangers of living in close proximity with the Mayon volcano, as it is situated roughly 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) away from the volcano.HistoryThe baroque church of Cagsawa was originally built in 1587 in the small town of Cagsawa (spelled as Cagsaua during the Hispanic occupation of the Philippines). But it was burned down by Dutch pirates in 1636. In 1724, the church was rebuilt by Franciscan friars under Father Francisco Blanco.