Simbahan ng Anini-y, A Philippine Heritage Site

The Simbahan ng Anini-y (Anini-y Church) is the only preserved colonial church in the province of Antique according to the Heritage Conservation Society. It is also considered as one of the oldest landmark in the province and was awarded by the National Historical Institute (NHI) as one of the Philippines heritage site.

The church belongs to the the 19th century revivalist style with traditional Baroque elements like the triangular pediment with niche flanked with blind occuli supported by a single storey and divided into three sections by engaged pilaster. It also features an arched entrace adorened with rosettes, stout pilasters with finials and a three-storey bell tower.

It was first built by Fray Hipolito Casiono between 1630 and 1638. Its foundation, which still exists, measured 33m x 13m. A second church of 48m x 12.5m was constructed close to the earlier church around 1845.

Fray Vaquerin was responsible for the completion of the present complex, the convent in 1879 and the church, except for the arco toral - an architectonic element for reinforcement . Vaquerin's church measured 65m x 16m and had a height of 10m. The convent was almost totally demolished during the World War. The Mill Hill priest Fr. William Erickweld preserved the ruins and built a modern convent beside it. in 1973, the roof and the backwall were damaged by a typhoon.

Photo by energystream from Flickr