Taal Heritage Town

Taal, Batangas

Founded in 1572, the town of Taal preserves a remarkable collection of bahay na bato stone-and-wood houses along ancestral streets, anchored by the Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours—the largest Catholic church in Asia. The river port that made Taal one of the wealthiest towns in Spanish-era Philippines has been silent for a century, but the houses remember everything.

📸 Ranieljosecastaneda (CC BY-SA 4.0), BennyB02 (CC0), Carl Flores Trinidad (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons

batangasheritage townbahay na batobasilicaspanish colonialhistory1572

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