Raymundo Francia

Raymundo Francia
Known for	Painting, Murals
Notable work	Ceiling murals of Sibonga Church, Various churches in Bohol
Movement	Religious art, Ecclesiastical art

Raymundo Francia was a Filipino painter known for his ecclesiastical murals and ceiling paintings in Spanish colonial churches in the Visayas, particularly in Cebu and Bohol. He was active during the early 20th century, a period when Filipino artists were frequently commissioned to decorate church interiors throughout the region. Several writers have described Francia as "Cebu’s Michelangelo"^{[ failed verification ]} in reference to the scale and detail of his church ceiling murals. ^[1]

Early life and training

Some sources indicate that he developed his skills at a young age and later established a practice in Cebu, where he became involved in church mural painting during the American colonial period. ^{[2] [ failed verification ]}

Career

Francia worked primarily as an ecclesiastical painter, producing large-scale murals and ceiling paintings depicting biblical scenes, saints, and religious symbolism. His work often involved adapting religious prints and devotional imagery into expansive compositions suited to church architecture. ^{[3] [ failed verification ]}

He was active in Cebu ^{[ failed verification ]} and Bohol and worked during a period when local painters traveled between parishes to decorate church interiors. Francia is frequently mentioned alongside other Cebuano church painters of the era, including Canuto Avila. Heritage writers have noted his extensive involvement in church ceiling painting in Bohol during the early 20th century^{[ failed verification ]}, although exact numbers of completed works remain uncertain. ^[4]

Notable works

One of Francia’s documented works is the ceiling mural of the Sibonga Church in Cebu, completed between 1927 and 1931.^{[ failed verification ]} He is also associated with mural and ceiling paintings in several churches in Bohol, contributing to the region’s ecclesiastical visual heritage during the early 20th century. ^{[5] [ failed verification ]}

Style and legacy

Francia’s work is characterized by narrative religious imagery rendered on a monumental scale, reflecting the devotional needs of parish churches during the early 20th century. His murals are valued for their role in preserving religious iconography and illustrating the contribution of regional artists to Philippine ecclesiastical art.

Although he remains less documented in mainstream Philippine art history compared to later modern painters, Francia occupies an important place in the regional history of Cebuano and Visayan church art. His ceiling murals continue to be cited in discussions of early 20th-century ecclesiastical painting in the Philippines. ^[6]

References

1. "My City, My SM, My Art: Toast Galicano and Cebuano Artistry". Philstar. April 16, 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
2. "Kisame: Heaven Right Here, Right Now". Philstar Cebu. September 2, 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
3. "Kisame: Heaven Right Here, Right Now". Philstar Cebu. September 2, 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
4. "Heavenly Visions in Bohol Churches" . Retrieved 11 January 2026.
5. "Kisame: Heaven Right Here, Right Now". Philstar Cebu. September 2, 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
6. "My City, My SM, My Art: Toast Galicano and Cebuano Artistry". Philstar. April 16, 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2026.