SITE
The town of Vigan is the oldest and one of the best-preserved examples of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. In June of 1572, the twenty-two year old Don Juan Salcedo, the last and youngest of all the conquistadors, arrived at the site and took control of the area. Eventually, Salcedo became Encomiendero and Justica Mayor of Ilocos (or Ylocos) and settled Vigan as a Spanish city for the purpose of controlling the neighbouring counties, patterning the design of the city on that of Intramuros (Old Manila). Vigan went on to become the capital of Ilocos Province, which was then composed of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union and some parts of the Mountain Province.

Vigan became a thriving centre for trade and commerce for the people of Ilocandia and the Cordilleras. Vigan was already known as an international maritime port for hundreds of years before the Spanish arrived. With the Spanish, Vigan became a centre for political and religious administration. The lucrative galleon trade, connecting Vigan to Europe via Acapulco, bolstered the profits of the city, making it the most prosperous city north of Manila for 300 years.

In 1758 Vigan officially raised its status to that of 'city' when it became the seat of the suffragan diocese of Nueva Segovia, and renamed itself Ciudad Fernandina in honour of King Ferdinand.

© Ferdinand Esquilona

What makes Vigan special today are its wonderful houses. The architecture of the houses reflects the intermingling of cultures in the town. There are influences from China, other places in the Philippines, as well as Europe, creating an eclectic townscape and unique culture found nowhere else in Asia. A number of the ancestral houses remain in good condition, although some have been transformed from residences to museums, inns and souvenir shops and others, unfortunately, are nearing collapse. There are 193 ancestral houses and historic buildings, which include churches, government buildings and bodegas. 73 of the structures were built before 1871, 56 of the houses were built between 1871 and 1900, and 63 houses were built after 1900. Most of the houses are located in the town's Mestizo District, more specifically on Mena Crisologo Street.

ARCHITECTURE
The historic houses of Vigan display an architectural blend of Asian, European, and Latin American influences. The houses were built by Chinese taipans during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most of the historic buildings on the site are two-storey structures, 130 of which are made of brick and masonry on both the lower and upper floors, while the remaining have lower floors made of brick and masonry and upper floors made of timber. Some of the structures have voladas or extensions on the second floors that project outwards. These voladas were passageways used by servants who ran along the projections in order to avoid disturbing the residents of the house.

The layout of Vigan houses was designed for very specific purposes. Typically, the ground floors of the houses were used for commercial reasons, while the second floor was used strictly as a residence. There was a puerta, or main door wide enough to accommodate horse-drawn carriages and high enough for the carroza (shoulder-borne or carriage-borne religious images). The ground floor usually contained a zaguan or hall, and the homeowners would let visitors in by pulling a string from the second floor to open the puertita or smaller door. There was usually a grand staircase with two sections: one leading to a landing where ordinary visitors were received and the second leading to the second floor. To provide ventilation the houses were built with large windows called ventanas made of two layers of sliding panes.

© Ferdinand Esquilona

Besides these ancestral homes, Vigan contains other religious and secular structures. The Archbishop's Palace is an 18th century structure, finished in 1783 that housed the ecclesiastical court of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia. It is the only surviving 18th century structure of its kind in the country, and features sliding capiz windows and cutout decorations with floral motifs. The Avala Museum is the birthplace of the martyr-priest Father Jose Burgos. This former two-storey residence was turned into a museum to house the memorabilia of Burgos, as well as cultural artefacts. The Vigan Cathedral, also known as the St. Paul's Cathedral, was built by the Augustinian friars in 1790-1800, in the "Earthquake Baroque" style of architecture. The façade displays Chinese lion dog ornaments and a depiction of the conversion of St. Paul above the main doorway. Inside, the cathedral contains three naves, three altars and a choir loft. Fifteen metres south of the cathedral is the octagonal belfry.

The Plaza Salcedo stands on an elevation west of the cathedral. The Salcedo Obelisk, located in the centre of the plaza, is the oldest monument in northern Luzon, erected in the 17th century. The obelisk symbolizes the establishment of the Villa Fernandina on June 13, 1572 by Don Juan Salcedo.

CONSERVATION
Many of the historic buildings are suffering from various types of damage and decay. Load-bearing walls are littered with cracks, wooden roof beams are rotting, and many of the walls have also been damaged by damp and the exterior plaster has decayed due to weathering. A series of fires in the 1950s and 1970s also destroyed a number of buildings. The town's drainage system is failing, and some houses are near collapse.

© Ferdinand Esquilona

The first efforts to conserve and restore the historic structures at Vigan began in 1987 when the National Museum, working in conjunction with local residents, compiled an inventory of approximately 190 heritage houses. Another survey was done in 1996 by the Save Vigan Ancestral Homes Association, Inc. (SVAHAI), having been subsidized by a grant from the Toyota Foundation. They listed approximately 120 homes.

Since 1987 more awareness has been raised and others have become involved in the conservation of the site, including locals who see conservation as an increasingly important issue. The Sangguniang Bayan of Vigan has implemented municipal by-laws specifying the historic center boundaries where structures must be strictly conserved, and has also insisted that conservation be carried out in accordance with technically accepted practices.

LOCATION
Vigan is an island, located 408 kilometres northeast of Manila. It is the capital of the province of Ilocos Sur that lies along the northwestern coast of the island of Luzon in northern Philippines. Vigan is separated from the mainland by three rivers - the Abra River, the Mestizo River and the Govantes River and is flanked on the western side by the China Sea. It has an indigenous population of 41.540 inhabitants and a total land area of 2.74 square kilometres, 60% of which are agricultural lands.

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