The Ruins (mansion)
The Ruins is the remains of the ancestral home mansion of the family of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and Maria Braga Lacson. It is situated in Talisay, Negros Occidental, Philippines. The mansion was built in early 1900s and inspired by Italian architecture.[1][2][3][4]
 The Ruins | |
.svg.png.webp)  Map of Negros Occidental showing the location of Talisay City | |
Former name | Taj Mahal of Philippines |
|---|---|
| Established | Early 1900 |
| Location | Talisay, Negros Occidental, Philippines |
| Coordinates | 10.7102°N 122.9833°E |
| Type | Private in-stu open-air Local museum |
| Key holdings | Ruined ancestral house at a large farm. |
| Collection size | 440 hectares (1,100 acres) |
| Owner | Mariano Ledesma Lacson Maria Braga Lacson |
| Website | theruins |
Building details | |
| |
| Alternative names | The Ruins |
| General information | |
| Status | Preserved as dilapidated |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Italian architecture |
| Town or city | Talisay, Negros Occidental |
| Country | Philippines |
| Construction started | Early 1900 |
| Owner | Lacson-Javellana |
| www | |
History
The Ruins (Talisay) was the ancestral mansion of the family of wealthy sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson built on a 440 hectare sugar plantation in Talisay City, Negros Occidental in the early 1900s in memory of his Portuguese wife Maria Braga Lacson, who died during the birth of their eleventh child. During World War 2, Filipino guerillas burned it down as a countermeasure to prevent the invading Japanese forces from using it as a military office. It burned for 3 straight days.[1][2][3][4]
Architecture
It is built in Italianate architecture.[1][2][3][4] The ruins is an example of brilliant architecture. Located on a sugar plantation in the Negros Occidental province of the Philippines, WWII Filipino guerrillas employed by the US Armed forces intentionally set the building on fire in order to prevent invading Japanese forces from being able to use the building as a headquarters. The intention was to burn it to the ground.
Current status
Known variously as the "Taj Mahal of Talisay", "Taj Mahal of Negros" and "Taj Mahal of the Philippines", it is in the private ownership of the great-grandchildren of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and Cora Maria Osorio Rosa-Braga. They have preserved it in its ruined state, amidst operational farmland, as a tourist attraction that can be visited for a fee or hired for events. It is open to daily visitors from 8am to 8pm for a small entrance fee of PHP100 for adults, PHP 50 for students, and PHP20 for children.[1][2][3][4]