Quema Ancestral House
The Quema House belongs to Vigan's historic residential streets. UNESCO describes the district's ancestral homes as part of a townscape shaped by Chinese, Filipino and European influences. Confirm restoration status and interior access with the owners.
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Quema Ancestral House
The Quema House belongs to Vigan’s historic residential streets. UNESCO describes the district’s ancestral homes as part of a townscape shaped by Chinese, Filipino and European influences. Confirm restoration status and interior access with the owners.
Built around 1820 for the Quema family and associated with merchant Enrique Quema, the house stands in the former Chinese quarter known as Kasanglayan. Its unusual all-brick, two-storey structure once placed storage and carriage space below the family’s living rooms. Capiz-shell windows, ventanillas, wide hardwood floors and period furnishings reflect a mix of Chinese, Filipino and Spanish influences. The house also inspired the Philippine Nationality Room at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning.
Sources
Practical information
- Setting
- Private heritage house; arrange an interior visit with the owners.
- Visiting
- Do not assume public admission; seek the owner's permission for an interior visit.
