Danao's Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church

I passed by this church while riding a bus from Cebu City to Bantayan Island so I took a mental note that I will visit this church on my way back from Bantayan. And that is just what I did. So, from Hagnaya, I ask the conductor to drop me in that beautiful, ancient church in Danao.

The façade of the church as viewed from the highway is just awesome. Faded coral bricks that seem to absorb rather than reflect the rays of the sun define the church from the outside. Looking at the church will instantly made you feel that you are transported back in time.

An arched door in between two arched windows and a line of six white angel statues are prominent features of the church but its main draw definitely are those large off-white coral bricks that made up the façade of the church and its bell-tower.

Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church is considered as one of the finest church buildings in Cebu. The gracious, coral-stone church was built in 1755 and restored from near ruin in 1981. While the interiors are not that fancy, its modern marble finish and its white vaulted ceiling is well worth a look.

Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church

Santo Tomas de Villanueva Bell Tower

Guardian Angels

Thick Coral Bricks

Side View

Church Interiors

Nearby Rizal Park
To go there; take a north-bound bus from Cebu City in the Cebu North bus station. These buses pass through Danao City in about an hour. Get-off at the plaza beside the church because stopping at the road in front of the church is prohibited.