Earthquake Baroque

Earthquake Baroque, or Seismic Baroque, is a style of Baroque architecture found in the former Spanish East Indies 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.^[1]

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

Characteristics[edit]

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.^[2] Instead of lighter materials thinner walls were introduced by progressively decreasing in thickness to the topmost levels.^[3]

Bell towers are usually lower and stouter compared to towers in less seismically active regions of the world.^[4] Towers are thicker in the lower levels, progressively narrowing to the topmost level.^[2] 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.^{[citation needed]}

• 
  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[edit]

• Church architecture
• Spanish Colonial architecture
  • Churrigueresque
  • Plateresque

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• "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