Leon Church

Camando was a visita of Tigbauan as early as 1719, it became an independent parish in 1738 through the advocation of Santa Catalina Virgen Y Martir. The church of Camando was built in 1773, but when the town was relocated to its present site, the church was also transfered. The name Camando was changed to Leon as a regard to a Spanish City with the same name.The construction of the present church was started by Fr. Melquiades Arizmendi and continued by Fr. Serapio Gonzalez. Its architectural motif is Romanesque proven by a overpowering combination of Roman and Byzantine features. The main portal is flanked by two smaller doors with multi-layered arches. There is no existing cornice which separates the first and the second levels of the facade, thus it appears to be a one-storey-church, however it is very obvious that the church is of huge symmetry. The overall impression is massiveness.The church was planned to be a three-nave temple which was supposed to be the largest in Panay Island. It was so huge that it can be at par with the Cathedral of Leon in Spain. Unluckily, the church was never finished, the apse and the transepts were ruined and the size of the church was shortened. However, the facade of the church is still very remarkable; here, one might notice the carvings of the coat of arms of Leon City(Spain).History says that there were 12 images of apostles in the old church of Camando. When the church was transfered to Leon, the tweleve images were also transfered. Today, not even one of these images still exists.