Lucban Church | On the Shadow of Quaint Fiesta

LUCBAN, Quezon Province - Like most of town in the country, the  Church of Lucban sits on the center and probably on one of the highest point of the town. On front of it is a small plaza and then villages built around it; as patterned on the "Laws of Indies" 

The sun was about to set when I reached the town. There were bunch of locals on the vicinity of the marvelous edifice at that moment. Some, I assumed were tourist/visitors like me visiting the church. Surprisingly, I discovered that the church was dedicated to St. Louis of Toulosse, a catholic bishop and a former cadet of French Royal House of Anjou and not to San Isidro Labrador, the farmers patron; whom the festival have evolved.  

The rustic look of Lucban Church brought me to admiration. A glance on the church's entirety would give one a quick history review of what it has been through. There were grown up plants on the church exterior faded wall, multi-pilastered facade, arched windows and three-tiered belfry. On the sides, are protruding massive buttresses where mini-gardens was assimilated that made it a good spot for picture taking. In whole, the church posses a Baroque Architecture which was prevalent in most of our Hispanic Churches.

The church was first built in 1595 but ruined in 1629. It was reconstructed between the year of 1630 and 1640. Unfortunately, it met another tragedy in 1733 when a huge fire burn it into ashes. The present church was completed in 1738 and the convent at 1753. During the war on 1945, the church was partly damaged and was rectified in 1966 with the help of NHI.

While the exterior of the church was remained unpolished, its interior was direct opposite, a plain white ceiling inclined on a long-gable roof, with some Trom-L'eoil on edges. The thick wall was apparently newly smooth plastered, also white painted with array of arch stain glass windows. Alight were gold painted chandeliers all passing through nave up to the altar. The retablo is the simplest  I've ever seen. It only holds three saint's busts. The nave has two rows of pews.

How to get there:

There are buses going to Lucena City or Sta. Cruz, Laguna from bus terminals in Metro Manila-along Buendia and Taft Avenue in Manila and Makati while there are also in Araneta Center in Cubao and in EDSA-Kamuning-Kamias. From Sta. Cruz, ride on jeepney going to Lucban in terminal located in Pagsawitan. 

In my case, I opted to travel going Lucena through DLTB Bus. Then boarded off in Lucena Grand Central Teminal. Fare would be P210.  Then take jeepneys going to Tayabas fare would be P25 and Lucban, fare would be P30. 

The church is much easy to find because it is still the tallest structure in the town.