MINIATURES

Saint Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata ca. 1295-1300 by Giotto   Ora et labora... et bella? The life of a peasant in Medieval Europe was often perceived as insignificant, a relentless struggle for survival marked by scarce resources and complete dependence on the landlord. God’s presence loomed heavily over their daily lives, shaping their thoughts and actions. Ora et labora —"pray and work"—was the essence of their existence? As temporal authorities, the Church, and the nobility vied for dominance over society, peasants and serfs were often met with disdain and suspicion. Their essential role in sustaining the very foundation of society was frequently overlooked. Ironically, the oppressive structure of feudalism was sometimes justified as the divine will. The Medieval period was also punctuated by wars or "bella" that brought forth figures of renown from both noble and warrior ranks. Yet amidst the violence and political intrigue of the 13th-century Italia

  The Immaculate Conception Cathedral at Pasig For this year's visita iglesia bike rides, we decided to undertake a cultural mapping of the twelve early visitas (chapels) mentioned by Fray Gaspar de San Agustin in his work Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas 1565-1615 . The document states: "Not far from one of the mouths where this bay drains is the town of Pasig, about three leagues from the city of Manila, upstream, a convent is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It has a voice and vote in the Chapters. It is a very large poblacion and is divided into twelve visitas: San Nicholas, Pinagbuhatan, Polo (San Miguel), Palatiu, Meybunga, Sagad, Angono, Bamban, Malinao, Tipas, Mandarala, and Botin (Buting)." It has been quite a revelation to learn that the history and uniqueness of two or three of these visitas are not well known, even to the communities where they stand. Naturally, what we are tracing are not the original structures, as they no longer exist

Professor Marre In my ongoing research into the double murder case and subsequent trial of Juan Luna in Paris, I encountered one of the defense witnesses, Eugène Aristide Marre, a distinguished French linguist and expert in Malay and Malagasy languages. Marre served as a professor at the École des langues orientales vivantes and was a member of the Société Asiatique de Paris. He earned prominence through his translations of medieval Arabic mathematical treatises, including Khélasat al Hisáb (The Essence of Calculation) by Behâ-eddin Mohammed ben al-Hosaïn al-Aamouli, written in 1846 and published in 1864, and Talkhīṣ ʿamal al-ḥisāb (The Summary of Arithmetic Operations) by Ibn al-Banna' al-Marrakushi, published in 1865. In addition to his academic contributions, Marre served as a primary school inspector in Brittany and, as an officer of public education, authored numerous works on Arabic and Indian mathematics. His scholarly interests extended beyond mathematics to Oriental poet

Heavy Rainfall In the first week of July 1896, a storm lingered to the north of the Philippines. It originated in the Marianas and moved toward the Philippine Sea, drifting northward in the general direction of the Ilocos Region. This provided compelling evidence for the Katipunan narratives that, in the weeks or even months leading up to the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the rains were uncommonly heavy. A tropical depression was recorded as early as May, and it was said that a Katipunan meeting in Pasig took place during a downpour that same month. According to an article in a Spanish newspaper, the Lieutenant of the Guardia Civil in Pasig had noticed unusual gatherings of men late at night in the towns of Mandaluyong , San Juan and Pasig. However, on July 5, 1896, the date in question, intense rainfall across Luzon, driven by the southwest monsoon ( Habagat ), hindered the lieutenant's ability to conduct follow-up investigations or intelligence work due to the severe weather. An

  Execution in Cavite September 1896 Days after the Katipunan's attack in San Juan, Manila was gripped by the fear of a full-fledged insurrection, similar in magnitude to that in Cuba, spreading to the suburbs and nearby provinces in a short time. The Spanish crown, already challenged by dwindling resources due to years of fighting revolutionaries in its prized Caribbean possessions, was frantic to avert another impending disaster. Other European powers were eagerly eyeing their hidden interests in the Pacific, waiting for Spain to finally fall. Meanwhile, the American press continued to entice the American public with the idea of U.S. intervention in the Cuban conflict. At the start of the revolution, the colonial government in the Philippines rounded up suspected leaders and sympathizers of the uprising. It first vented its anger and vengeance on its known critics, the "Ilustrados," some of whom curiously returned to the Philippines from Europe one by one just before th

The young children of Pasig Parochial School 1935 The photo highlights my high school Alma Mater-- Pasig Catholic College (1935). Back then, PCC was known as just a small parochial school offering primary to secondary education. There are a couple of interesting things to see in the photo. First, there's the banner in the background featuring a cross. To be more specific, it is a "Maltese Cross," characterized by its eight pointed edges. This banner symbolizes the medieval Catholic order known as the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, or simply "The Knights Hospitaller," founded in Jerusalem during the turbulent years of the Crusades. During our student days at PCC, we often wondered why the Belgian fathers (CICM) used such symbols as Templar Knights, medieval crosses, and the Crusades. Are they somehow connected to the legend that Catholic military orders, such as the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller, still exist secretly? W