A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.....

The Church of Our Lady of The Assumption.....






Ang Kampanaryo.....





Center Aisle.....






Church Buttresses.....






From My Window.....







Another View.....






The Chapel Inside The Convent.....






Running Time.....






A Cross on The Hill.....






Fallen Tree.....






The problem with taking pictures during the summer months is the sunlight is so strong that it tends to wash out the sky. Even if it was just 10 in the morning, the sun's rays seem to be emitting light that one can mistake it to be midday already. Perhaps this is the effect of climate change.

We were fortunate enough to have a driver who has knowledge of the area. I did not know that another road exists for those who go to the Church of Our Lady of The Assumption using their own vehicles. Basically, it is where the parking area is situated. This way prevents people from having to climb the steps heading towards the church if coming from the town plaza, which was a good thing for us, lessens strain on our backs. Try climbing 83 steps with your camera backpack and tripod on this steep hill. It will leave you out of breath when you reach the top!

There was an ongoing wedding when we arrived. We first shot the church from the outside while we waited for the rites to end and shoot the interior. But the sun began to wreck havoc on our photos that we eventually had to shoot somewhere else.

Our deepest gratitude to Sr. Lilian Carranza, who is the one in charge of The Our Lady of The Assumption Spirituality Center. This is the convent that stands beside the church. She gave me a brief history of the place and was kind enough to allow us to enter the convent and shoot interiors.

What I did not know is that even the convent is part of the UNESCO World Heritage proclamation, since it stands on the same lot as the church. The convent needed some immediate repairs on some areas but she has to inform the people from the UNESCO about it since any unauthorized renovation of the structures will automatically make the proclamation null and void. However, some areas have been repaired. Sr. Lilian even said that some of the rooms may be rented out to people looking for cheap accommodations in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur in the near future.

We went to Vigan right after, needing some shut eye!