The Quezon Memorial at Quezon Memorial circle. The Quezon Memorial Circle is a national park and shrine located in Quezon City, former capital of the Philippines (1948-1976

The Quezon Memorial Circle is a national park and shrine located in Quezon City, former capital of the Philippines (1948-1976). Quezon City ( Filipino: Lungsod Quezon) is the former capital ( 1948 - 1976) and the most populous The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The park is an ellipse bounded by the Elliptical Road. In Mathematics, an ellipse (from the Greek ἔλλειψις literally absence) is a Conic section, the locus of points in a At its center is a mausoleum containing the remains of Manuel Quezon, the second President of the Philippines, and his wife, First Lady Aurora Quezon. A mausoleum ( plural: mausolea is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (b August 19, 1878 in Baler Aurora, Philippines - d The President of the Philippines is the head of state and government of the Republic of the Philippines. First Lady of the Philippines or First Gentleman of the Philippines is the unofficial title of the hostess/host of the Malacañang Palace, the nation's residence of Aurora Antonia Aragón de Quezon (born Aurora Antonia Aragón y Molina on February 19, 1888 &ndash April 28, 1949) usually known

History

The site was originally intended as the grounds of the National Capitol to be built in Quezon City. While the cornerstone for the structure was laid in 1940, only the foundations were in place when construction was interrupted by the beginning of the Second World War in the Philippines. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including After World War II, President Sergio Osmeña issued an executive order stipulating the creation of a Quezon Memorial Committee to raise funds by public subscription to erect a monument to his predecessor, President Manuel Luis Quezon. Sergio Osmeña ( September 9 1878 &ndash October 19 1961) was the fourth President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (b August 19, 1878 in Baler Aurora, Philippines - d After a national contest was held for the purpose, a winning design by Filipino architect Federico Ilustre was selected.

Description

The monument would consist of three vertical pylons (representing the three main geographic divisions of the country: Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao), 66 meters (217 ft) tall (Quezon's age when he died), surmounted by three mourning angels holding sampaguita (the national flower) wreaths sculpted by the Italian sculptor Monti. Luzon is the largest and most economically and politically important Island in the Philippines and one of the three island groups in the country with Visayas Visayas ( Visayan: Kabisay-an) is one of the three island groups in the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost Island in the Philippines. Jasminum sambac ( syn Nyctanthes sambac) is a species of Jasmine native to southern Asia, in India, Philippines Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The three pylons would in turn circumscribe a drum-like two-story structure containing a gallery from which visitors could look down at Quezon's catafalque, modeled after Napoleon Bonaparte's in the Invalides. A catafalque is a raised Bier or platform often movable that is used to support the Casket, Coffin, or body of the deceased during a Funeral Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Les Invalides in Paris, France, is a complex of buildings in the city's 7th arrondissement containing Museums and monuments all relating The gallery and the catafalque below are lit by an oculus, in turn reminiscent of Grant's Tomb. This page is about the architectural term See also Eye. Oculus (plural oculi) is the Latin word for Eye, and the word remains

Sarcophagus housing the remains of President Quezon

Construction

Construction of the Quezon Memorial was begun in the late 1950s but proceeded slowly, in part due to the cost of importing Carrara marble, brought in blocks and then carved and shaped on-site. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive There were also problems associated with the theft of the marble blocks and the management of memorial funds. It was finally completed in 1978, the centennial of Quezon's birth. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) His remains were reinterred in the memorial on August 19, 1979. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) It was during that time that by virtue of a presidential decree, President Ferdinand E. Marcos mandated the site as a National Shrine. Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralín Marcos ( September 11, 1917 &ndash September 28, 1989) was President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 The National Historical Institute manages, and has authority, over the monument itself, while the Quezon City government administers the park.

On April 28, 2005, the remains of Mrs. Aurora A. Quezon, widow of the president, were solemnly reinterred in the memorial as well. Aurora Antonia Aragón de Quezon (born Aurora Antonia Aragón y Molina on February 19, 1888 &ndash April 28, 1949) usually known

Other structures

Planned auxiliary structures, including a presidential library, museum, and theater, were never built (two smaller museums, one containing the presidential memorabilia of Quezon, and the other containing items on the history of Quezon City, were installed within the monument itself). In the 1980s, missing, lost, or uncomplete bas reliefs for the outside of the memorial were installed. A development plan was also drawn up and partially implemented, including the building of recreation and dining structures.