VIGAN

Vigan is one of the most preserved Heritage towns in the Philippines and for me it is one of the most beautiful historical places I've been to, and last March we got to visit it . We explored Ilocos Norte and Sur during the trip and get to see the historical side of the place. Though Museums, Empanadahan, Heritage Village and Plazas, the two day trip around Ilocos was a perfect way to feel like I was in the Spanish era. 

During our second day of the Vigan trip we had a kalesa ride to Heritage Village and in order to get there we went pass Plaza Salcedo to Rizal Avenue leaving the plaza proper then to Manila North Road then turning to Quirino Boulevard then entering the Heritage Village. While we were travelling Rizal Avenue we passed the Govantes River and then again when we on Quirino Boulevard. This description of our travels to the Heritage Village is important because it would be a good example for some few points that I will be making in my description of Plaza Salcedo. 

https://www.google.com.ph/maps/place/Vigan+City/@17.5792234,120.393317,
16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x338e6f821753bae5:0x20035e6de330b125
Edited by Janine

Plaza Salcedo

In the town proper there are two plazas, Plaza Burgos and Plaza Salcedo which are near each other. Both plazas are near the church, Saint Paul Cathedral. Plaza Salcedo is the main plaza in Vigan and is located infront of Saint Paul Cathedral. The plaza is shaped like a long oblong and has a big fountain in the center of it. There is also a monument in the middle of the fountain which makes it the center of the plaza. When facing the cathedral the street to the left and right where shops and food places and opposite the cathedral is the Provincial Capitol. The Town Hall is located at the end of Burgos street (which is the street to the right when facing the cathedral) opposite the cathedral. Also opposite the cathedral is Burgos Museum and the Burgos Memorial School. 

From the Nuttall and Hart works on the the structure of the Plazas in the Philippines, this kind of set up is not unusual but also is a common practice when it comes to building a town. According to Hart, the plaza proper consist of the municipio, market-place, school and Catholic church. The Plaza Salcedo is surrounded by Saint Paul Cathedral and opposite it is the Town Hall and the Provincial Capitol and also surrounding it are shops, food places and a supermarket, though when we were there modern shops and food places were already established there like Jollibee, McDonalds and from what I remember there were clothes shops near Jollibee. 

The Govantes River also plays a significant role in building a town because, according to Hart, building a town near the river is one of the major types of sites for barrios in the Philippines. Though the Plaza is not at the center of the town, as Nuttall said it should be, it is near the river and he said that if the town is located near a water port then the plaza should be close to the water port or river bank. 

Plaza Salcedo and Saint Paul Cathedral
from: http://wikimapia.org/816667/Plaza-Salcedo#/photo/268677

The oblong of the plaza proper can now be see the oblong-shaped fountain and from what I have read about  and looking at pictures of the old Plaza Salcedo, there was no fountain during the Spanish era and it was plain land which looks like a garden.

Picture of the old Plaza Salcedo
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mOsluIwsUxh1OdA5lNqzm3tJzxOajtH6eQ97RXMYXSblC9AqsQpS0TS5AsUYhWj3i8eWGXCHx_GC5MyIf7A4V9ZHl1djSORcjuzALD8yRiDCVW6z1jVG9PeO4B7wTb4Ijr-O1GdHmg0/s1600-r/plaza+salcedo+old_blog+header.JPG

According to Nuttall, private residences are not to be built surrounding the plaza because they are reserved for the church, Royal and Town House, and also shops. Plaza Salcedo follows this kind of setup because the private own houses are not located surrounding the plaza but outside of the plaza. For the Heritage Village it is located near Plaza Burgos but not entirely surrounding both plazas. 

At present the Heritage Village are now turned into souvenir shops and hotels but they still kept the facade of the old houses which completes the historical feelings of Vigan. From the Plaza proper to the Heritage Village to the kalesa rides, Vigan is truly a beautiful and historical place. Visiting the Burgos Museum, Crisologo House, Syquia Mansion, and and eating Empanada at the Empanadahan were also a great Vigan experience

Sources:

Vigan City Philippines - Unesco World Heritage City. "Plaza Salcedo." Accessed April 9, 2014. http://www.vigan.ph/plaza_salcedo.html

Nuttall, Zelia. "Royal Ordinance Concerning the Laying Out of New Towns." The Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol. 5. No. 2 (1922): 249-254. Accessed April 7, 2014, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2506027

Hart, Donn V. The Philippine plaza complex : a focal point in culture change. New Haven: Yale University Southeast Asia Studies, 1961.

The Heritage City of Vigan (Blog). Accessed April 9, 2014,  http://ciudadfernandina.blogspot.com/

Wikimapia. "Plaza Salcedo (Vigan City, Ilocos Sur)." Accessed April 9, 2014. http://wikimapia.org/816667/Plaza-Salcedo#/photo/268677