Manila – The City of Fantastic Palaces

Manila, the capital city of Philippines, can also be called the city of palaces and fortresses. There are many beautiful palaces situated in the city which give the city an ancient look and make it a desirable destination for all the people interested to watch historical monuments. These monuments always find a place in the list of people charting out their plans to catch cheap flights to manila and visit this beautiful and magnificent city. This article records two of the most amazing historical monuments erected on the land of the capital city of Philippines, Manila.

One such place is Intramuros, the fortress erected by Miguel Lopez De Legazpi in 1571 after he got control over Manila. He built his fortress on the ruins of Islamic settlements near the start of Pasig River. This fortress was attacked and invaded by many forces such as Chinese pirates, Dutch forces and passed in the hands of Americans, British and Japanese but it survived every invasion till the World War II when it was bombed and destroyed by the United States during the Battle of Manila. Spread in an area of around 64 acres, the place is surrounded by great walls and has an open courtyard. The walls around the courtyard were painted with beautiful graffiti, painted in the year of 2011 when an open street painting competition was organized in the premises of Intramuros. Even though the place was destroyed and whatever remained are only the ruins of once a majestic and grand fortress, still Intramuros gives a strong feeling and sense of Filipino history engraved on the lands of the capital city Manila. If you are even a bit into historical monuments, Intramuros is a must go place for you.

Imelda, the once princess of Manila, is known for her wacky ideas and schemes. One of her most famous and wackiest schemes was The Coconut Palace and probably the most beautiful of those all. When Imelda got the news that Pope John Paul II was about to visit Philippines, she ordered to build a grand palace as a welcoming gesture to the Pope. Huge numbers of workers worked days and nights to complete the palace. But unfortunately the Pope went somewhere else instead of visiting this palace. Today, this palace is a famous wedding place for young Filipino couples where many couples get married every year. This palace is also open for general public. So when you go to Manila, don’t forget to visit this place.

These two are the most famous monuments in Manila which tell many stories of Filipino history or especially the historical tale of the city. So if you are one of those people who feel great while visiting a historical building, these two places must be on your minds when you step out from your flights to Manila.