Iloilo is known for its Dinagyang Festival, La Paz Batchoy, colonial churches and old houses. And when we speak of this city’s old houses, they are are not just your typical ancestral houses or bahay na nato. In fact, each of these houses is an Iloilo tourist spot.
This city is home to many mansions built by sugar barons way back in pre-war era and definitely one of the places to see and visit in Iloilo. Some are still standing with some old people or caretakers residing while some are now used as schools.
If you are traveling or visiting the City of Love, bring your camera and wear your most comfortable shoes and discover these old houses and mansions in Iloilo. surely, this is one of the top things to do in Iloilo. There are many of them in the city and what I have here are just a few of them. I am featuring those famous old houses and mansions but it is easy to spot many old abodes as you explore Iloilo.
If you don’t know where to start, just go to the main plazas in the city – Jaro, Molo and Libertad. In accordance to the Spanish status quo, those living close to the plaza are the most affluent ones. So aside from taking shots or visiting old churches, you can also check out these ancestral and heritage houses of Iloilo.
Those located around Jaro Plaza are the grandest and there are still plenty of them. Still, you can see many old houses in Molo and even Arevalo. For this post, majority of these houses are located around the district of Jaro.
So here they are…
Ledesma Mansion or “Eagle House”
This old house is located in Ortiz Street close to Plaza Libertad. If you are heading to Jordan, Guimaras Island, this should be your landmark to the wharf where you will be taking a boat ride to the island.
Eusebio Villanueva Mansion
This well-preserved old house is located close to many government offices like the Provincial Capitol, Tourism Office, Atrium Mall, Hall of Justice and beside Castle Hotel. Thanks to one of my readers, Glenn. This house belongs to the Villanuevas. Verified with Demy Sonza when I attended a Tourism summit and it is the house of Eusebio Villanueva. Thanks Glenn!
Antillian House of Sanson-Montinola
Located along E-Lopez St., Jaro beside Collegio de San Jose. It was in this house that the Araneta clan gathered during their family reunion years ago. The Antillan House was built by Don Emong Montinola.
Note: This photo was used by a local newspaper without my consent..wth!
Nelly Garden
I consider this as the queen of all old houses in Iloilo. Named after the daughter of its original owners ( Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva and Donya Elena Hofilena y Javelona) in 1928. The structure is patterned after Tara, the estate house of the novel, ” Gone With the Wind”.
Here is my separate blog post for Nelly Garden, ” The Grandiose Nelly Garden“
Jalandoni- Montinola Mansion
This house is located close to Jaro Plaza beside a pet shop store across RCBC bank. I got the name and some info of this mansion from Sir Laurence Montinola, one of their direct descendants and I quote..
The Montinola house beside a pet shop, is owned by Don Rodrigo Montinola, married to Dna. Felisa Jalandoni, they had three children, Estela Montinola Jaen, Lourdes Montinola Lachica (my mom)(deceased) and Dr. Simplicio Montinola (deceased).
It was built in 1928. during WWII, the family stayed in Baguio, it was said that the house was occupied by Filipino soldiers and was attempted to be burned down. Inside the house you will find family heirlooms and a lifesize statue of our lady of lourdes (a gift from lola felisa to mama) every february the family would have it loaned to the cathedral for procession.
Ledesma Mansion
Owned by Rosario Lopez Javelona and Don Luis Ledesma. I love this house but it was hard to find a perfect angle since in its front gate is a bibingka stand ( edit: the bibingka is no longer there) and there are some flyers of a review center hanging on its terraces. This mansion is located across Jaro Plaza.
Lopez-Vito Mansion
Located right across Jaro Plaza, beside the Ledesma Mansion. Its windows are opened during the annual Jaro fiesta.
Locsin Mansion
The Locsin House faces the exit of the Jaro Cathedral and right next to the Vito-Lopez House. I don’t have any information about this house. I would appreciate it if someone can enlighten me..:-)
Casa Mariquit
The house built for Maria Javellana-Lopez or Mariquit, wife of former vice-president Fernando Lopez Sr. This house also served as a bank during its time.
Here is my separate blog post for Casa Mariquit, ” Night Tour at Casa Mariquit“.
The Mansion that used to be “Tienda Antigua“
Located in Benedicto St. in Jaro beside Tibiao Bakery approaching Tabuc Suba Bridge. The antique store, “Tienda Antigua” is no longer housed inside but I still prefer to call it as the “Tienda Antigua” House.
Villa Lizares comes next to Nelly’s Garden when it comes to its grandeur and present state. Visually awe-inspiring but stories behind it are as haunting as the word “hunted” that its stories has flown all the way to Negros. Beyond beautiful, this is one of the best places to visit to visit in Iloilo. Still, Villa Lizares is one proof of the wealth of Ilonggos. It is now within a school property and this mansion houses Angelicum School’s chapel. During Christmas season, this house is lit up turning it into a wonder house. Read the story here.
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62 Comments
The famous Nelly’s Garden- i love that old house, somehow it gives me an idea what would my house be in the near future,wahahahhaha…..more pics please….
Nice houses..Are visitors allowed to enter these houses?”
Valerie, I looove your blog! The pictures are really great. It simply shows that Ilonggos have a rich history and cultural heritage. Great work!
Correction: Lopez-Vito, not Vito-Lopez
Hi Bo!
Thanks for the correction, very much appreciated. I’ll do the correction..thanks again! 🙂
Thanks Giding! Hope you can visit this blog often in the future.. 🙂
@ marvi..I think you can but you need to ask permission ( formally! hehee)..
Wow!I didn’t know that we can still find such ancestral house like this nowadays! Great pictures. Do they welcome visitors in? I’m excited!
I’m half Ilongga but it didn’t know these. Thanks for a very informative blog. I’ll surely include all of them in my next itinerary when I get the chance to visit Iloilo again.
I so miss Iloilo – where i feel so natural, that is, talkative. haha I regret not visiting those mansions. Will also take pictures of those mansions and other old buildings in Iloilo on my next visit! Great job Val!
@ kristine..You have to arrange and formally ask permission from owners/caretakers to get inside..
@ johanna and agnes..thanks for visiting! Now you have other things to check out when you are in Iloilo..
this feature gives me an idea on what to share to my traveller’s club..this will help enrich my lesson in local history…but most of all it gives me an idea of the (historical) places to visit…
hope you will post most historical places…:-)
love this post on iloilo heritage homes! thank you. i will add as one of the features sites at pinay.com. hope you can join pinay.com someday.
Thank you Perla! 🙂
Great pictures! I hope they preserve them. Does the city have a SOHO (Save Our Heritage Organization) or a Historic Society to ensure that these historic places are preserved for future generations? Whatever happened to the movement “Save Calle Real,”
does anyone know? I sure hope they are not razing those old, charming and historic structures in favor of new and architecturally boring buildings.
Hi Jo!
Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure if the city has a SOHO. What I’m sure is that the Center for West Visayan Studies of UP takes care of these places. Yup, Calle Real is still standing..no plans for modern buildings.
With the houses, they have their own caretakers since they are owned by the most affluent families of Iloilo who wants to preserve their own family history. Some of them are still used during family reunions..
you can also check out the Espinosa mansions in Blumentritt street. near the jet ports going to bacolod city. there is also the Admiral hotel ruins. but unfortunately it is now resided by “squatters”. But just visit the two espinosa mansions. its very nice and its now renovated by the Espinosas.
Hi Pat!
Thanks for that information. Yeah, most of them are really occupied by squatters. I hope the local tourism can coordinate with the families right? These can really be good tourist attractions.
Thank you for dropping by Pat 🙂
The two mansions are great. one is the mansion of the past congressman Pascualing Espinosa. and the other the mansion of his younger brother Franco Espinosa Sr.. I really do hope so that our local tourism give attention to these wonderful sites. 🙂
Hi Pat!
I’m trying to located these two mansions that you mentioned and the ruins of Admiral Hotel. Do you have any photo? Or can you give me a more detailed description on their locations? I might have seen them ( for there are many of them right?) but can’t identify them.
Thanks for your information Pat..it feels great to know sometime who have the same interests as mine. God bless!
there is this old house right across corner rizal-quezon sts. and niki coseteng’s house has an old architecture too. there are many old houses in silay but still the ones in iloilo are still better.
Hi Igitboy!
Yes, I agree. Old houses in Iloilo are grander, mostly made from high-grade cement. But in fairness to Silay, many of them are open to the public to visit and admire. How I wish they will do the same here in Iloilo.
Thanks for visiting! Hope to hear from you next time! 🙂
the montinola house beside a pet shop, is owned by Don Rodrigo Montinola, married to Dna. Felisa Jalandoni, they had three children, Estela Montinola Jaen, Lourdes Montinola Lachica (my mom)(deceased) and Dr. Simplicio Montinola (deceased).
it was built in 1928. during wwII, the family stayed in Baguio, it was said that the house was occupied by Filipino soldiers and was attempted to be burned down. Inside the house you will find family heirlooms and a lifesize statue of our lady of lourdes (a gift from lola felisa to mama) every february the family would have it loaned to the cathedral for procession.
Hi Laurence!
I thank you beyond words. Really, I appreciate your shared information. Coming from the direct descendants. How I wish we can ‘”enter” your ancestral home and feature them. These are really living treasures of Iloilo City.
Thanks again!!! Madamo guid nga salamat!!!:)
I will edit my entry with your information. Thank you so much Laurence!
i was amazed when i saw the ancestral pictures that you posted here… it’s a big help on my part, because i used it on my studies… thanks a lot for the information that you’ve shared…
Thank you. Kindly acknowledge in case. My pleasure sharing my own thoughts to you.
I really appreciate your effort of show casing these ancestral houses in Iloilo. There are still so many other old grand houses there in Jaro and Molo and even in the city proper. Perhaps you could turn this into a coffee table book!
Hi,
Thank you for leaving another comment here 🙂
Yes, old houses and mansions here in Iloilo fascinate me. I hope the local government can help in maintaining them, not just relying on the owners ( I think all just have a care-taker). About the coffee table book, I really wish to. I need to polish my photography skills for that. Bucket list! 🙂
Thank you Sir Pablo!
Hi! I discovered your blog from a distant relative. It was wonderful seeing Nelly Gardens. When I was younger we would vacation there during the summers. Thank you for bringing about some great memories for me.
My Tita who lived in Nelly Gardens was a very wise woman. Here is a blog post that gives you an inkling of her spirit:
http://ichoosehappynow.com/2011/07/21/family-relationships/my-wise-aunts-advice-on-being-sick-dont-chase-after-every-cure/
Cheers,
Louise
Hi Loiuse,
Thank you for your time reading and leaving a comment. I read your blog too and it is very heart-warming. I will leave a comment too!!
Hope you can visit Iloilo one of these days…
All the best,
Valerie
hi.. there.!. nice pics ^_^…
ancestral houses could also be found in Molo…
two thumbs up… i like haunting in iloilo. a ghost haunting
Hi Joseph!
I’ve been dying to do that here! Spend the night in an old house? hahaha
Hi, Valerie!
A small correction: Nelly Garden (the Don Vicente Lopez mansion) is on E. Lopez Street. Lopez-Jaena Street is the one that runs from Jaro Plaza to Central Philippine University.
You may be interested in this conservation effort: http://iloiloilove.com/1927-s-villanueva-building-restoration-efforts/
Oh! Thanks for that! My bad. 🙂
Nice shots, really appreciated your efforts, I am from Molo and it would be an add on if you had included the ones found in Molo. Next time, how about old churches of Panay, would love to see it here. Thanks.
I have plenty actually
Just one of the links..
http://www.valcaulin.com/article/visita-iglesia-iloilo-edition/1897/
Thank you for leaving a comment here…
Hi i think the unnamed mansion that is near the capitol is of villanueva’s. Very nice blog. Thank you
Hi Glenn!
Thanks for the info. Someone also told me it’s the house of Eusebio Villanueva.
Thank you for visiting my blog and for leaving a comment.
Hope you can visit my blog again!
I’ve been lived 12 yrs. in iloilo but this is only the time my curiosity came in. .hehe. .but thanks actually because all my questions are answered. . .I’ve been seeing this houses since high school until now and i want to know there history. .oh i forgot I’ve seen also an old house near in teds,located at jaro plaza. .have you’ve seen it?.did you know it’s history?.thanks:)
The one with Western Union, a Spa and a photo developing shop? Yeah, I know that house and some tidbits about its history. There are more old houses in the city. Maybe I will make another post for that.
Thanks for visiting my blog and for leaving a comment..