The Cagsawa Ruins in Albay and Its History

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The Cagsawa Ruins in Albay and Its History
The Cagsawa Ruins are a significant historical and cultural site in Barangay Busay, Daraga, Albay, Philippines. They are the remnants of a 16th-century Franciscan church, known for its tragic destruction during the catastrophic eruption of the Mayon Volcano on February 1, 1814. This event led to the loss of over a thousand lives, including an estimated 1,200 people who took refuge in the church during the eruption. The incident left only the belfry standing.
The ruins, particularly the belfry, stand as a symbol of the dangers of living near an active volcano. The site is maintained by the municipal government of Daraga and the National Museum of the Philippines, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
The baroque church of Cagsawa was originally built in 1587 in the small town of Cagsawa. The church, however, was burned down by Dutch pirates on July 25, 1636. In 1724, the church was rebuilt by Franciscan friars under Father Francisco Blanco.
On February 1, 1814, the strongest eruption recorded to date of the Mayon volcano buried the town of Cagsawa and its surrounding areas under several hundred million cubic meters of tephra and lahar, killing an estimated 2,000 people. Hundreds of inhabitants of the town of Cagsawa purportedly sought refuge in the church, but were also killed by pyroclastic flows and lahar. Only the belfry and some parts of the convent survive today, though parts of the crumbling facade still stood long after the 1814 eruption as attested by photographs. It is believed that the facade of the structure collapsed due to earthquakes that hit the area in the 1950s.
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Nice place, but I'm sad to know it's tragic history