Wednesday, April 09, 2008
CARRIEDO WATER FOUNTAIN REPAINTED
I'm not too crazy about the new colors of the Carriedo Water Fountain on Plaza de Santa Cruz. They remind me too much of the trendy colors used in repainting the tombs and edifices -- such as the Mausoleum of the Veterans of the Philippine Revolution -- at Manila's North Cemetery.
As Carlos Celdran quipped, "considering that Mayor Lim has touted himself to be the heritage friendly mayor and that he has some of the finest conservationists and historians aboard his bandwagon, how the hell did this travesty happen under their watch? Ahem. Paging Heritage Conservation Society et al."
The city administrators should have just retained this fountain's more dignified previous color, or at least made it look stately as that of New York's Angel of the Waters Fountain at Central Park.
Nevertheless, kudos to the city, at least, for its continued upkeep of our treasured historical landmarks.
Just to point out once more the significance of this water fountain, (as I've previously posted,) General Francisco Carriedo y Peredo — the Spaniard in which this water fountain and the popular street, Carriedo, was named after (where the original ShoeMart Store once stood) — bequeathed P10,000 in 1743. It was intended as an initial endowment for the creation of the first water system in Manila to provide free water for the poor in perpetuity. Entrusted to the Obras Pias, this sum of money was to accumulate in the Galleon Trade until it should grow by way of profits and interest into a sufficient fund to build a water system.
Unfortunately, in 1762, an iron chest with P250,000 and labeled Fondo de Carriedo was among the spoils carted off by the invading British forces when they looted the city of Manila.
Consequently, buried under tons of governmental archival documents, General Carriedo’s will was forgotten until a Franciscan friar, Fr. Felix Huertas began the search, found the documents and calculated that by 1878, the sum had grown to P177,853.44.
Fr. Huertas spearheaded the efforts in actualizing the wish of General Carriedo, and within four years the water system was completed at a total cost of P742,509. With 153 hydrants, the system was inaugurated on August 23, 1882.
Return Carriedo Fountain To Sampaloc - Museo Santisima Trinidad
The Carriedo Legacy and the Twin Fountains - Traveler on Foot
posted by Señor Enrique at 6:28 AM
23 Comments:
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Photo Cache said... I agree with you, I much preferred the old color. What was wrong with it anyway that they need to change it?
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said... http://www.worldisround.com/articles/298854/photo33.html
Photo of a Water Fountain (Fuente) that I took in Spain. Old and beautiful.
The one in Carriedo got painted over "a la Disney world".Is this the paint job of the Historical Society? They ought to be lined up in front and the fountain and shot with "Paint Ball" guns.
Paolo-
pusa said...
oh my i prefer the old look too!!! spot on! it looks like a freshly painted tomb! :(
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Señor Enrique said...
I think the water eventually stained the previous pint, Photo Cache. But stark white color is more susceptible to stains, no?
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Señor Enrique said...
Indeed, that is a beautiful fountain, Paolo!
I just couldn't figure out why the folks at Manila City Hall repainted this historical fountain in such whimsical colors.-
Señor Enrique said...
And I wonder, Pusa, how long this white paint will remain looking fresh?
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said...
Ang baduy Senor!
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said...
I was a little surprised to see this new look of the Carriedo fountian when passed by the area a few days after Holy Week (i think).
I also took photos of it but I couldn't think a good write up about the new colors.
Thanks for writing an article about it and for posting my previous article about the Carriedo Legacy and the twin fountain.
Oh, I still like the old Schonbrunn yellow color.-
Sidney said...
"Some may bit** that the fountain now looks like a painted whore"!
Hahahaha... I even prefer this quote from Carlos.-
Señor Enrique said...
Yes, Mandaragat. The colors are not too fitting for such a prestigious fountain of ours.
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Señor Enrique said...
My pleasure, Traveler. Your write up is definitely a very good read, especially for those interested in our local history.
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Señor Enrique said...
Well, these colors are quite popular in Central America and in Mexico as well, Sidney. Thus, I wouldn't go so far as consider them whorish since they're used in our tombs.
But I just don't think these colors are appropriate for a historical landmark in our city.-
Panaderos said...
I'm sorry to say but the choice of colors was awful. Mayor Lim's staff should have done a better job researching what the original colors of the fountain were. It would have been money well spent.
Having said that, I must say that the fountain is still in pretty good condition in spite of having been moved from one place to another over the years. I remember seeing for the first time in the Santa Mesa/Nagtahan interchange back in the early 1970s. Years later, it was moved to the MWSS Compound near Diliman, and now it's back in Manila.-
pelotario said...
Yes, Senor Enrique was right. The mexicans love this color. Tijuanas Jai-Alai Palace building fascade, the colors looks
almost exactly like Carriedo fountain
Pelotario-
Señor Enrique said...
Yes, Panadero ... it's a well-traveled landmark after having moved a couple of times from its original location.
I'd prefer the patinas of the old European fountains/monuments. They look dignified.-
Señor Enrique said...
Is it possible then, Pelotario, that those responsible for this fountain's upkeep thought of reflecting the Philippine-Mexican connection by using these colors? After all the Galleon Trade, financed in part by Obras Pias, plied this route.
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nutart said...
Ay naku! It looks like a child's cake full of marshmallows! It would dissolve any minute now!
Another appropriate description is that of Sidney's quote of Carlos.
If I were there in person, I might just blurt out "WTF???!!!!"...and I don't even curse :-).-
Señor Enrique said...
You're right, Bernadette! It does look like one of those cakes from Goldilock's! Hehehe!
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-= dave =- said...
Mexican style? To appeal to the masses? I think I've seen these colors in a jologs setting.
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Señor Enrique said...
The colors in question are not that bad per se, but to be applied to this particular water fountain ...
Oh well.-
reyd said...
:lol: grabe naman yung ginawa nila sa Carriedo fountain. I think ayan din yung nasa Santa Mesa rutonda nuon. Naala ko nuon, minsan kulay dilaw yung fountain with black letterings, minsan naman, kalburo ang ginagamit na pintura.
A gold paint or coppertone on letters would look much better.
Buti na lang hindi si Bayani Fernando ang namamahala diyan, baka pinturahan ng PINK yan. LOL!-
Señor Enrique said...
Naku! Naging pink iyan kung si Fernando namahala ng repiniting job ... hehehe.
But I passed by just the other, Reyd, and lo and behold! They repainted. Now, it's simply white with gray letterings. Napahiya ata sila from all these talk :)-
said...
what happened to our clan's fountain?? it looks gay.
