| Arch of the Centuries | |
|---|---|
Arko ng mga Siglo | |
 The arch in 2025 as seen fromEspaña Boulevard | |
 Interactive map of Arch of the Centuries | |
| Former names | Puerta del Colegio |
| General information | |
| Type | Triumphal Arch |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Location | UST Plaza Intramuros,Manila,Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°36′30″N120°59′27″E / 14.6084°N 120.9908°E /14.6084; 120.9908 |
| Construction started | c. 1680 |
| Relocated | 1954 |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | C.F. Pablo and Son (1953) |
| Designated | 25 January 2010 |
| Reference no. | 1–2010 |
TheArch of the Centuries (Filipino:Arko ng mga Siglo) is atriumphal arch at thePlaza Intramuros of theUniversity of Santo Tomas inManila,Philippines. Half of the current structure, the side facing theUST Main Building is the ruins of the 17th-century arch door of the first UST campus inIntramuros, while the side that facesEspaña Boulevard is a replica inaugurated in 1954.
It was declared as aNational Cultural Treasure by theNational Museum on 25 January 2010.
One of the cultural icons of the University of Santo Tomas, it is often the site of important campus events. TheThomasian Welcome Walk is UST's tradition of welcoming the freshmen by passing through the arch. The passing through happens once more after the baccalaureate mass when the graduating class exits through the arch, signifying the completion of their student life in the university.
The north side of the present-day Arch of the Centuries served as the arch door portal to the university when it was still in the walled city ofIntramuros. The university's oldest floor plan, created by Juan Peguero, the procurator of the Dominican Province of the Philippines from 1675 to 1677 and from 1680 to 1684, designates the arch door as thePuerta del Colegio. The arch door faced the first Benavides Statue, which was located atCalle Postigo andCalle de Santo Tomas.[1]
TheBattle of Manila in 1945 left the 17th-century campus completely destroyed. In 1953, UST rector Jesus Castañon ordered that the arch door, one of the few structures that survived, be transferred to the Sampaloc campus. Carmelo Flavier Pablo of C.F. Pablo and Son, a precast contractor, was hired to dismantle the ruins piece by piece and transport them to the present campus. The structure took the contractor a year to complete. It was finished and inaugurated in 1954 and became formally known as the Arch of the Centuries.[1][2][3]
On 25 January 2010, it was declared aNational Cultural Treasure, along with theUST Main Building, the Central Seminary Building, and theuniversity field by the National Museum of the Philippines.[4]
The statue ofThomas Aquinas above theattic story was inaugurated on 21 December 1955. The saint is portrayed as a young and energetic man seated on a chair. This depiction of Thomas Aquinas is similar to the painting byJustus van Gent andPedro Berruguete.
Two female figures flank the Thomas Aquinas statue. The female facing west holds a cross in her right hand and anadmiralty pattern anchor in her left hand. The female facing east holds a torch in her left hand, while her right arm rests on awinged wheel. These two figures correspond to the two fountains on both sides of the arch, the Fountain of Divine Wisdom and the Fountain of Human Wisdom (Fountain of Knowledge). The replica of the façade, the statues, and the bas-relief panels were also done by Carmelo Flavier Pablo.[1]
Directly above the arch is the main inscription, which is different on both sides. Flanking the main inscriptions are four bas-relief panels depicting the life of Thomas Aquinas.[1][5]
Below the main inscription is a coat of arms that features a double-headed eagle. Thecoat of arms is similar to the one used byCharles I, the King of Spain when the Philippines was discovered.[6]
The main façade consists of two columns on each side of the archway. The columns are ofDoric order. Thespandrels of the archway consists ofBaroque reliefs.[5]
The main inscription on the south (front)attic reads:
The main inscription at the north (back)attic reads:
On the leftpier facing España Boulevard is a commemorative plaque honoringJosé Rizal, and on the right pier is a plaque honoring Philippine PresidentManuel L. Quezon.
The bronze marker on the side of the left pier tells the history of the arch. The words underneath it read,Gateway to the history of the finest breed of Filipinos, a reference to the USTalumni.[7]
Freshmen pass under the arch as part of the welcoming rites to the university. Candidates for graduation also pass through under the arch during a parade after their baccalaureate Mass.[8][9]
There is an urban legend that claims prematurely exiting the arch before graduation would lead to a student’s debarment.[10]
In 2015,Pope Francis passed through the arch during his visit to the university.[11]
Media related toArch of the Centuries at Wikimedia Commons