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Earthquake Baroque, or Seismic Baroque, is a style of Baroque architecture found in the former Spanish East Indies (now the Philippines and some nearby Pacific islands) and in Guatemala, which were Spanish-ruled territories that suffered destructive earthquakes during the 17th and the 18th centuries. Large public buildings, such as churches, were then rebuilt in a Baroque style during the Spanish colonial periods in those countries.

Similar events led to the Pombaline architecture in Lisbon following the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and Sicilian Baroque in Sicily following the 1693 earthquake.

Characteristics

In the Spanish East Indies, destruction of earlier churches from frequent earthquakes have made the church proportion lower and wider; side walls were made thicker and heavily buttressed for stability during shaking. The upper structures were made with lighter materials. Instead of lighter materials thinner walls were introduced by progressively decreasing in thickness to the topmost levels.

Bell towers are usually lower and stouter compared to towers in less seismically active regions of the world. Towers are thicker in the lower levels, progressively narrowing to the topmost level. In some churches of the Philippines, aside from functioning as watchtowers against pirates, some bell towers are detached from the main church building to avoid damage in case of a falling bell tower due to an earthquake.

• San Agustin Church (Manila)
• Morong Church
• Paoay Church
• Miagao Church
• Loboc Church
• Loay, Church
• Anini-y Church, Antique
• Santa Maria Church (Ilocos Sur)
• Panay Church
• Malate Church

See also

• Church architecture
• Spanish Colonial architecture
  • Churrigueresque
  • Plateresque

References

1. "Antigua’s Environs – Antigua, Guatemala". BootsnAll Indie Travel Guide. Retrieved on 2011-07-06.
2. ^ "The City of God: Churches, Convents and Monasteries". Discovering Philippines. Retrieved on 2011-07-06.
3. Reitherman, Robert Consortium of Universities (2016). Seismic Architecture - The architecture of earthquake resistant structures, Llunji Mentor, Earthquake Spectra. Msproject. ISBN 9789940979409.
4. Finch, Ric. "Antigue Guatemala-- Monumental City of the Americas". Rutahsa Adventures. Retrieved on 2011-07-06.

External links

• "Earthquake Baroque: Paoay Church in the Ilocos" from the Heritage Conservation Society
• San Pedro de las Huertas, an Earthquake Baroque church in Guatemala
• Earthquake baroque churches of the Philippines

• Baroque architectural styles
• Baroque architecture in the Spanish Empire
• Baroque architecture in the Philippines
• Earthquake engineering