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History–Tours
15651565–1815 (Manila founded 1571) · Intramuros, Manila

Spanish Manila and the galleon trade

The stone walls of Intramuros, the Spanish walled city of Manila
Photo: Brenden Brain. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Miguel López de Legazpi made Manila the capital of the Spanish Philippines in 1571. From 1565 to 1815 galleons sailed between Manila and Acapulco, exchanging American silver for Chinese silk and porcelain, the first regular trade route linking Asia and the Americas. Manila's walled city of Intramuros was built to protect the trade.

Sites

  1. Site 1: Fort SantiagoSpanish citadel at the mouth of the Pasig River.Map ↗
  2. Site 2: San Agustin ChurchThe oldest stone church in the Philippines, completed in 1607.Map ↗
  3. Site 3: Intramuros wallsRestored ramparts, bastions and gates of the walled city.Map ↗

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