Old drawings and rare photos are on view at the Manila Cathedral.
The exhibit opened Wednesday after the Mass to mark the cathedral’s 41st anniversary as a minor basilica.
A basilica is designated by the pope and has a special spiritual bond with his office. It is also a place of pilgrimage for Catholics.
The collection includes some original architectural drawings and plans during the 1958 reconstruction by the Istituto Internazionale Di Arte Liturgica in Rome.
The exhibit also features for the first time the 3D printed scale model of the cathedral created by Digiscript Philippines and a timeline of the basilica’s history.
Those visiting the exhibit will also see the only two surviving images of molave wood that were originally enshrined at the cathedral facade.
Fr. Regie Malicden, the cathedral’s Rector, also unveiled a marker sculpted by Filipino artist Egai Talusan Fernandez.
The marker identifies the spot of the cornerstone laid in 1954 to start the rebuilding of the cathedral after the war.
The exhibit will remain open indefinitely.
Pope Saint John Paul II raised the Manila Cathedral to the dignity of a minor basilica on April 27, 1981.