Plaza Mexico | |
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Public square | |
IV Centenario de la Expedición Marítima México Filipinas memorial | |
Location | Magallanes Drive, Intramuros Manila, Philippines |
Coordinates: 14°35′39″N120°58′28″E / 14.59417°N 120.97444°E |
Plaza Mexico is a historic riverside square in Manila, Philippines, located at the west end of Magallanes Drive and Riverside Drive in Intramuros bordering the Pasig River in the north. It is surrounded by the Aduana Building on the south, the Bureau of Immigration Building on the east and the ruins of the Bastión de Maestranza and Puerta de Almacenes on the west. The Pasig River Ferry has a station also named Plaza Mexico located northeast of the square behind the Immigration building. The square was named Plaza Mexico in 1964 to commemorate the 4th centenary of the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi and Andres de Urdaneta from New Spain (Mexico) and the historic Manila-Acapulco galleon trade relations between the two nations that lasted 250 years.
Located on this square is the monument to the IV Centenary of the Mexico–Philippines Maritime Expedition donated by the Mexican Secretary of The Navy Shipyards during the celebrations of the Year of Mexican-Philippine Friendship in 1964. On the other side of the square is a statue of Adolfo López Mateos, the President of Mexico who visited the city in 1962. [1]
Until 1904, the area of Plaza Mexico contained the walls of the Baluarte de Santo Domingo which enclosed the Aduana Building and the old Santo Domingo Church. In that year the American colonial government, seeing the need to develop and expand the Pasig River docks, decided to tear down its walls and open up this side of Intramuros. The Magallanes Monument, originally erected in 1848 in the center of the esplanade called Paseo de Magallanes to honor the Portuguese navigator who discovered the Philippines, was transferred to this site fronting the Aduana Building. The monument was completely destroyed during World War II. [2]
From 1962 to 1964, a series of cultural exchanges between the Philippines and Mexico was held to celebrate the Year of Mexican-Philippine Friendship. This resulted in the creation of several landmarks in the city dedicated to Mexico and the Philippines' long historical and cultural ties to the Latin American country. They include Plaza Mexico and its monuments, the statue of the Mexican hero of liberation Miguel Hidalgo on Bonifacio Drive, and the renaming of Taft Avenue Extension in Pasay to Mexico Road. [3] [4]
Juan de Salcedo was a Spanish conquistador. He was the grandson of Spanish general Miguel López de Legazpi. Salcedo was one of the soldiers who accompanied the Spanish conquest to the Philippines in 1565. He joined the Spanish military in 1564 at age 15, on their voyage of exploration to the East Indies and the Pacific, in search of rich resources such as gold and spice, and to find a passage to the islands were the previous Spanish expeditions led by Ferdinand Magellan had landed in 1521, and Ruy López de Villalobos in 1543.
The Manila galleon, originally known as La Nao de China, and Galeón de Acapulco, refers to the Spanish trading ships that linked the Spanish Crown's Viceroyalty of New Spain, based in Mexico City, with its Asian territories, collectively known as the Spanish East Indies, across the Pacific Ocean. The ships made one or two round-trip voyages per year between the ports of Acapulco and Manila from the late 16th to early 19th century. The name of the galleon changed to reflect from which city the ship sailed, setting sail from Cavite, in Manila Bay, at the end of June or first week of July, starting the return journey (tornaviaje) from Acapulco in March–April of the next calendar year, and returning to Manila in June–July.
Intramuros, is the 0.67-square-kilometer (0.26 sq mi) 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.
Fort 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 located in Intramuros, the walled city of Manila.
The Church of Saint Augustine, also known as the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation and Cincture or the Immaculate Conception Parish, is a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of the Order of Saint Augustine located inside the historic walled city of Intramuros in Manila, Philippines. Completed in 1607, it is the oldest stone church in the country.
Santo Domingo, officially the Municipality of Santo Domingo,, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37,765 people.
The University of Santo Tomas is one of the oldest existing universities and holds the oldest extant university charter in the Philippines and in Asia. It was founded on April 28, 1611, by the third Archbishop of Manila, Miguel de Benavides, together with Frs. Domingo de Nieva and Bernardo de Santa Catalina. It was originally conceived as a school to prepare young men for the priesthood. Located Intramuros, it was first called Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario and later renamed Colegio de Santo Tomás in memory of Dominican theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas. In 1624, the Colegio was authorized to confer academic degrees in theology, philosophy and arts. On November 20, 1645, after representations by Vittorio Riccio, Pope Innocent X elevated the college to the rank of a university and in 1680 it was placed under royal patronage.
Mexico–Philippines relations are the bilateral relations of the United Mexican States and the Republic of the Philippines. Mexico and the Philippines share a common history dating from when the Viceroyalty of New Spain ruled the Spanish East Indies for the Spanish Crown. Both nations are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and the United Nations.
The Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) is a proposed elevated expressway in Metro Manila, Philippines that will skirt the banks of the Pasig River and connect the cities of Manila, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Taguig and the municipality of Taytay. The expressway is being proposed to alleviate east-west traffic congestion in Metro Manila. It is a joint venture between the Philippine National Construction Corporation and the San Miguel Corporation. The project broke ground on September 24, 2021, while construction of the expressway has yet to start pending the approval of its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Plaza de Roma, also known as Plaza Roma, is one of three major public squares in Intramuros, Manila. It is bounded by Andres Soriano Avenue to the north, Cabildo Street to the east, Santo Tomas Street to the south, and General Antonio Luna Street to the west. The plaza is considered to be the center of Intramuros.
Escolta Street is a historic east–west street located in the old downtown district of Binondo in Manila, Philippines. It runs parallel to the Pasig River, from Quintin Paredes Road to Plaza Santa Cruz Road. The street is home to several fine examples of early skyscraper design in the Philippines. In Spanish, it is known as calle de la Escolta. Its definition as a historic financial district includes Escolta and other surrounding streets of Binondo and Santa Cruz. It currently carries one-way eastbound traffic towards Santa Cruz.
Bonifacio Drive is a road running for approximately 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) in a north-south direction between Intramuros and Port Area in Manila, Philippines. The boulevard is also designated as Radial Road 1 (R-1) of Manila's arterial road network, National Route 120 (N120) of the Philippine highway network and an auxiliary route of Asian Highway 26 (AH26).
The Aduana Building, also known as the Intendencia, was a Spanish colonial structure in Manila, Philippines, that housed several government offices through the years. It is located in front of the BPI Intramuros at Plaza España, Soriano (Aduana) Ave. corner Muralla St. in Intramuros.
The Anda Monument, often erroneously referred to as the Anda Circle after the roundabout it is currently located, is an obelisk monument situated in the boundary of Intramuros and Port Area in central Manila, Philippines. It was erected in honor of Simón de Anda y Salazar, the Governor General of the Philippines from 1770 to 1776. The Anda Circle, the roundabout, is an interchange system at the junction of Bonifacio Drive, Mel Lopez Boulevard, Andres Soriano Avenue, and Roberto Oca Street.
Colegio de Santa Rosa - Manila is a private Catholic school run by the Congregation of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. It was established on August 30, 1750 as the Beaterio y Casa de Segunda Enseñanza by Mother Paula de la Santissima Trinidad to educate the young Spanish - Filipino women. It was originally an All Girls school until the early 2000 when it converted to a co-ed educational institution. It acquired its present name on 1774 but was also known by several other names including Colegio de Madre Paula and Beaterio y Casa de Enseñanza.
Plaza de España, also known simply as Plaza España, is a diminutive open space in Intramuros, Manila, Philippines formed by the intersection of Andres Soriano Avenue, Solana Street and Muralla Street. It is a triangular "square" which features a monument to King Philip II of Spain after whom the Philippines was named. The square is one of 47 parks and plazas in the City of Manila maintained by the city's Park Development Office in partnership with the Intramuros Administration. It is surrounded by the Aduana Building, the BPI Intramuros building which replaced the old Santo Domingo Church destroyed during World War II, and the Banco Filipino condominium building built on a portion of the old Ayuntamiento de Manila.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Metro Manila:
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the Philippine capital region of Metro Manila.
The Binondo–Intramuros Bridge is a tied-arch bridge in Manila, Philippines that spans the Pasig River. It connects Muelle de Binondo in Binondo and in San Nicolas to Solana Street and Riverside Drive in Intramuros. The bridge has four lanes and exhibits a steel bowstring arch design with inclined arches. It has a length of 680 meters (2,230 ft).
The Real Alcaicería de San Fernando was a marketplace and custom house constructed after a royal decree by King Ferdinand VI in 1752. The mandate intended the space to be a residential and commercial zone for the transient Chinese merchants to conduct their business. It was located on Calle San Fernando, San Nicolas, Manila, Philippines.