Churches in Bohol - Valencia

Valencia

The parish of the Santo Niño and the town of Valencia began as Barrio Panangatan of Dimiao, Bohol. Conjoined with adjacent barrios, it was constituted a town in 1869 and a parish in 1871 and named after a city on Spain’s southern coast. The church building commenced during the term of Fray Mariano Cornago (1870–77) and was completed in 1882 by Fray Francisco Arraya, who laid the church’s wooden floor. The church walls were of tabique but were later replaced by cement.

Heritage Site: The church is cruciform with a steep roof and a pyramidal crossing tower. Cut stone is used in parts of the church like the façade, however, concrete is found elsewhere. The real treasure of the church is its wooden floor of alternating dark (tindalo or balayong) and light (molave or tugas) wood planks. At the transept crossing an eight pointed flower design is used for the floor while, a herringbone pattern is used elsewhere. The interior is unpainted, unlike most Bohol churches and has altars in the neoclassical idiom. The convento is located not beside the church as customary but across the street. This structure was renovated in the 19th century.