One of Philippine's most popular structures and probably the most visited tourist destination when you are in Bacolod, The City of Smiles is The Ruins. Dubbed as the Taj Mahal of Negros, this Italian inspired architecture is truly a beautiful living legacy of love.
This beautiful remnant was once a mansion built by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson in memory of his wife and the apple of his eye Maria Baga. Historians say that it was a love at first sight when Lacson set his eyes on Maria in Macau that he immediately asked permission from the Portuguese lady's parents for marriage. According to locals, the Lacson was a wealthy clan in Talisay City because they own hectares of land and an ancestral house where the couple used to live with their ten offsprings. Tragedy came when Maria met an accident carrying their 11th child and died before the physician came due to miscarriage. To move on from his loss, Mariano decided to build a mansion to remind him of his wife Maria in the early 1900's. Mariano asked for permission from Maria's father to build a beautiful mansion that will symbolize their daughter. Every detail of this Italian inspired architecture was beautiful. The US Armed Forces burnt the mansion during the World War 2 that's why it is called The Ruins.
Located in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, we went ahead to The Ruins from Campuestohan. It operates daily from 8:30 am to 9 pm. Love is in the air the moment you will see the beautiful structure. Beside it is a beautiful fountain. On the grassland are glass tables and chairs. Inside the ruins are the family's portraits and a souvenir shop. It has a small café where you can treat your loved ones with delicious cakes, desserts, and other refreshments while being serenaded by the stay-in singer's lovely voice.
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