The oldest Catholic church in the Philippines, founded in 1565 on the spot where Magellan's men discovered the image of the Santo Niño — a small statue of the Christ Child given by Magellan to the queen of Cebu upon her baptism in 1521. The current Augustinian baroque church dates from 1740. The statue itself, kept in an ornate glass case in a side chapel, is surrounded by candles and pilgrims at all hours of the day. The museum in the adjacent courtyard displays vestments, religious art, and the history of the image. Standing next to Magellan's Cross, this is the spiritual heart of Cebu and one of the most important Catholic sites in Southeast Asia.
Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
A story
The image of the Santo Niño — a small figure of the Christ Child dressed in royal robes — was given by Ferdinand Magellan to Queen Juana of Cebu at her baptism in 1521. Forty-four years later, when Miguel López de Legazpi's soldiers ransacked the island, a soldier found the image unburned in a chest amid the ruins of a burned house. The Spanish took this as a divine sign and founded a church on the spot. The same figure, over 500 years old, is venerated here today.