The Lizares–Gamboa Mansion, also known as Lizares Mansion or Villa Lizares, is a Beaux-Arts heritage house located in the district of Jaro in Iloilo City, Philippines. Built in 1937, it now serves as the chapel of Angelicum School Iloilo.[1]
| Lizares Mansion | |
|---|---|
Villa Lizares (Spanish) | |
_(cropped).jpg) | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Lizares–Gamboa Mansion |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Location | Jaro |
| Address | Angelicum School, MacArthur Highway |
| Town or city | Iloilo City |
| Country | Philippines |
| Completed | 1937 |
| Owner | Angelicum School Iloilo |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Andrés Luna de San Pedro |
In 2024, the Lizares Mansion was declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP).[2]
History
edit_Jaro_Iloilo.jpg)
The Lizares Mansion, built in 1937, was a gift from Don Emiliano Lizares to his wife, Conchita Gamboa, and their two sons and three daughters. It was designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, the son of famous Filipino painter Juan Luna.[3] The mansion has three floors, a basement, and an attic. It features a winding wooden staircase, large bedrooms with floors and doors made of hardwood, and 59 doors.[4]
When World War II broke out, the Lizares family left for a safe hiding place in Pototan, Iloilo. The mansion was then used as the headquarters of the Japanese army. During the Japanese occupation, Filipino soldiers were tortured within its walls, and their bodies were disposed of on the estate grounds, with the basement believed to be a dumping ground for tortured Filipinos. Some accounts suggest the family used a network of underground tunnels during their escape, one of which reportedly led to Iloilo Memorial Park.
As the liberation of Panay approached, Japanese soldiers in the mansion committed seppuku. Locals believe that the spirits of those who died during this period still haunt the mansion.
After the war, the Lizares family returned to live in the mansion, but life was never the same. In 1950, Don Emiliano Lizares died, and his widow left for Manila, leasing the mansion to a businessman who turned it into a casino. The city mayor later ordered the casino closed, claiming it corrupted the locals. The mansion was then left in the care of Tio Doroy Finolan and his wife, who kept it intact.[5]
In 1962, the Lizares Mansion was sold to the Dominicans. In 1963, it was converted into a House of Formation for young Dominicans in the Philippines. By 1978, the Lizares Mansion compound had become the home of Angelicum School Iloilo with the help of the University of Santo Tomas (UST).[6]
In 2024, the Lizares Mansion was declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP).
In popular culture
editLizares Mansion has been featured in several Philippine television dramas. It was a notable location in the Philippine remake of the 2005 South Korean television drama "A Love to Kill," which premiered on Netflix in 2022, starring Ian Veneracion.[7][8] The mansion also appeared in ABS-CBN's "The Iron Heart," starring Richard Gutierrez, which premiered in November 2022.[9][10]
In 2024, the mansion was seen as the principal photography location for the Philippine adaptation of "It's Okay to Not Be Okay," starring Carlo Aquino, Joshua Garcia, and Anne Curtis.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Lizares Mansion (Angelicum School)". Explore Iloilo. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- ^ "Lizares Mansion in Jaro, Iloilo City declared Important Cultural Property". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- ^ Torres, Judith (2018-04-26). "The grand Beaux-Arts style now even clearer in Iloilo's Lizares mansion". BluPrint. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ Moralidad, Glory (2023-08-01). "Exploring Lizares Mansion: A Stunning Glimpse of its Enigmatic History". You Create Iloilo I Glory Moralidad I Iloilo Blogger. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- ^ "Lizares Mansion (Iloilo) History". travelsetu.com. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- ^ Mawis-Aliston, Ar Vittoria (2023-04-29). "Iloilo of past and present". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
- ^ Cordero, KC (2022-03-23). "Turismo ng Iloilo tampok sa Netflix series na A Love To Kill ni Ian Veneracion". PEP.ph. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ Lena, Perla (2022-03-22). "Netflix series shoot promotes Iloilo, brings jobs". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "Second season of hit series 'The Iron Heart' to be shot in Iloilo City - Iloilo Metropolitan Times". www.imtnews.ph. 2023-06-24. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ Tayona, Glenda (2023-06-30). "'Iron Heart': A chance to showcase Iloilo City". Panay News. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ^ "Carlo Aquino, Joshua Garcia, Anne Curtis team up for 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay' PH adaptation". ABS-CBN News. 2024-05-17. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
External links
edit10°43′55″N 122°33′31″E / 10.731827°N 122.558602°E
Media related to Lizares Mansion (Iloilo City) at Wikimedia Commons