San Nicolas Church

The San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church (located along C. Padilla Street) was built in honor of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, Italy (born c. 1246 – September 10, 1305), the patron saint of the souls in Purgatory.

When Miguel López de Legazpi was commissioned by Spain to lead an expedition to the Philippines, he landed in Cebu island and established a settlement at the exact place where the San Nicolas Church stands today. The area is also considered the original site of the landing of Legaspi’s armada on April 17, 1565.

Legaspi named his settlement Cebu Viejo, separated from the ciudad by the Pagina creek and El Pardo. Legaspi built the San Nicolas Church 19 years after he arrived there and the Parish Church became the centerpiece of his little town.

San Nicolas was a vibrant town during the Spanish Period, the spawning ground for the Revolution against Spain in 1898 (one of the revolutionaries who died was Candido Padilla).  The town eventually merged with Cebu City on April 17, 1901.