Michi Photostory: Viaje del Sol: Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

April 13, 2012

Viaje del Sol: Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

Do you still remember my Viaje del Sol post last year? It is one of my goals to visit those places and I’m glad I was able to visit Nagcarlan Undergound Cemetery last holy week. We did not plan to visit this place but on our way to Majayjay Falls, we saw this church.

Nagcarlan Church – The first church which was made of light materials, was built by Rev. Tomas De Miranda, D.F.M., who was assigned to this town in 1583 as resident priest. The second church of brick and stone was built in 1752 but it was partly destroyed by fire in 1781. A choir loft was added to the reconstructed church in 1845 by Rev. Vicente Velloc, who built the Nagcarlan Cemetery and its underground crypt. Rev. Tomas De Miranda was pioneer in the successful cultivation of wheat in the uplands of Nagcarlan.

While checking the church, we read about the Nagcarlan Cemetery so my husband asked the vendor how to get to Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery. Sorry, I can’t give you the exact directions because I wasn’t listening but the landmark is Shell Station. The underground cemetery is just in front of the gasoline station, 10-15 minutes away from Nagcarlan church.

Sementeryo sa Ilalim ng Lupa ng Nagcarlan – Ang naiiba at nag-iisang sementeryong ito sa Pilipinas ay itinayo ng mga misyonerong Pransiskano sa pangangasiwa ni Padre Vicente Velloc noong 1845, kasabay ng pagtatayong muli ng pinalaking simbahan ng San Bartolome at pagtatayo ng kumbento. Dito nagpulong nang palihim ang mga pinuno ng himagsikan sa Laguna noong 1896. Sa bisa ng Kautusan ng Pangulo bilang 260, Agosto 1, 1973 na sinusugan ng Kautusan bilang 1505, Hunyo 11, 1978. Ang sementeryong ito ay ipinahayag na pambansang palatandaang makaysaysayan.