The Ruins, Talisay City

            My boyfriend and I decided to go to The Ruins in the afternoon to gather as many pictures of the sunset as we could. The Ruins is the most famous historical mansion in Talisay City. The mansion was owned by Don Mariano Lacson, a sugarcane haciendero, and was built after the death of his wife, Maria Braga. Physical make-up was added to modify the wide and grassy ground surrounding the ruined mansion, such as shown on the photos below.

The two (2) mini golfs at the entrance near the parking area.

There is a structure that resembles a well but not actually a real well, and at the opposite side are some broken ceramic accessories left unfixed.

A building right in front of the main entrance of the Ruins is divided into (2) parts, on the left part of it is a store selling souvenirs, and on the right is the Pizzeria. The tables and chairs outside are for those who desire to dine and order food in the Pizzeria.

The fountain

This is the fountain at sunset.



              

This photo was taken from the second floor of the mansion

Due to its wide area, it has been a favorite place for children as their playground, prenuptial scenes, dry picnics and sight seeing until evening.

A bench between palm trees to relax on

A mini park near the souvenir shop

Grotto for Mother Mary on the grounds of The Ruins

The Ruins facing the fountain

The inside of the Ruins

         This is the porch at right side of the main entrance shown in the picture above. Attached on the big walls are small frames where a brief history of the mansion is written. The quality of the structures make the posts and the main pillars remain intact. In addition, the cement used here was mixed with white eggshells to come up with a glossy finish.

The left photo shows the left side of the porch. On the right photo shows the center hallway from the main entrance to the opposite end of the mansion. During World War II, the mansion served as the headquarter of the Japanese soldiers. For this reason, the mansion was set ablaze and because of the well-established structure the mansion burned continuously for three (3) days.

On the left side of the main hallway inside the mansion are tables and chairs intended for people who wish to dine in. This is because The Ruins was converted into a mini restaurant.

This photo shows the main entrance and the center hallway

These two (2) photos show the upper view of The Ruins. It was quite difficult to come up on the second floor though. The staircase shown on the left photo leads to the other main door.

The other face of The Ruins in front of souvenir shop and the Pizzeria

           Obviously, we had not gathered any sunset photos of the place. It was a very cloudy afternoon, so instead, we got a photo of the moon shining over the place. It took us almost an hour waiting for the moon to come out. This photo shows the grandeur of The Ruins at night. According to the history, this was the usual design of the ship captain's house in New England. In addition, Maria Braga's father was a ship captain. 

          The mighty yet sturdy structures of the Ruins remained majestic and steadfast over the years. By looking at it, it has plenty of stories to tell us. From the day it was built, adored, destroyed, and developed, The Ruins was and will always endure as the pride of Talisay City.

More photos to share, and stories to confess from all around the country!

Truly, more fun in the Philippines!

Until next time, God bless!