The Municipality of San Jose invariably referred to in old Spanish documents as Patrocinio de San Jose or San Jose de Lagonoy, has frozen a portion of its historic past in the colorful religious traditions and elegant stone houses which reflected their sophisticated aesthetic taste, aristocratic lifestyle and socio-economic vitality. But it is only by poring through historical texts that these mute witnesses of the past render a coherent narrative. This book, a product of extensive research on primary documents in the Philippines and Spanish archives, provides a lighter but comprehensive historical account of San Jose’s centuries-old history.