Philippines/Luzon: Daraga Church
Another worthy attraction near the Mayon Volcano is the Daraga Church aka Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish Church. The church was built by the Franciscans in 1772 after people of the nearby Casgawa decided to relocate further away from the volcano fearing an imminent eruption (the eruption didn’t happen until 1814, but then it completely wiped out Casgawa). The church is totally spectacular – on a high ground overlooking the volcano plane, very decorated inside and out and made almost entirely of volcanic black rock with a lot of carvings. The style is known as Churrigueresque – a baroque architecture with a lot of plastered stucco ornamentation.
