Control, urban space and identity in the Spanish Colonial Philippines: The Case of Intramuros, Manila (XVI-XVII centuries)

Abstract

Intramuros, the original town on which the Spaniards founded the city of Manila in 1571, became since its foundations the forefront of the Spanish conquest of the Philippines. It was the government, education and trade center of the Spanish Philippines over the next three hundred years. Intramuros became a fortified city following the Spanish urban development principles in the colonies. It was planned as an area designed to ensure the safety of the colonial rulers and the Spanish population. Meanwhile, outside the fortified enclosure, in an area called Extramuros, rose a multiracial city whose development was also monitored to ensure it do not become a threat to the colonial authorities.