The old and beautiful chapel in the middle of the cemetery

At the old Catholic cemetery or camposanto in Roxas City is a beautiful antique structure with an elegant entrance that dates back to the Spanish colonial era. The octagonal cemetery chapel, built at the center, was constructed by the Augustinian Fray Apolinar Alvarez (died 2 May 1885) who was parish priest of the town formerly known as Capiz. No specific dates were given from my source, Pedro Galende’s Angels in Stone. The friar was also credited with building the present Roxas City cathedral in 1870.

The structure, made from cut coral stones, has a single entrance. It’s facade has simple bas reliefs and decorative columns. Curiously, I haven’t found any skull and crossbones motif like in Cabatuan or contextual inscriptions like in Oton, both in Iloilo. At the sides and back, several niches have been built with most are used. The roof is in the form of an elongated dome topped by a finial with parts of it overgrown with vegetation.

Upon entering, several more niches are found, all modern. A columned altar topped with a triangular pediment can be found at the opposite end of the entrance. I’m not sure if this was built concurrently with the chapel but the architectural style echoes that of the cemetery entrance. One thing that really caught my attention was how thick the walls are, exceeding a meter in length.