This is the grandest of all Taal mansions, built as a wedding gift of a wealthy man to his wife from an equally prominent family. A tour of this heritage home customarily starts with a video showing the life and times of the lady of the house, Gliceria (Aling Eriang) Marella de Villavicencio, hailed belatedly as The Forgotten Heroine of the Philippine Revolution.

watching a video on the life of the Lord and Lady of the house

It is a two storey house made mostly of the best Philippine hardwood mulawin and narra.  Like most houses in those times, the ground level is only used for storage of supplies, for their transport, and also where the workers wait to meet with their masters. Today, there is a long dining table and benches where visitors may be served a merienda of  anative chocolate drink, suman (rice cake), and bonete (a famous local bun). Entrance fee is P70 per head, P100 if inclusive of the snacks. Snacks are also sometimes served at the garden.

At P100 per head entrance fee, we had a hot native chocolate drink , suman (rice cake), and bonete (local bun). No snacks at P70 entrance fee

the spacious and airy main lounge

grand staircase

the garden can be seen from below the stairs – – also a venue for the hot chocolate and rice cake snacks

A visitor will be awed by the beauty of this house and its restoration and maintenance, considering that this was built as a gift by Eulalio Villavicencio to Glicera on their wedding in 1871. Portraits of Gliceria and Eulalio done by the master Juan Luna still hang on the walls.

Casa Villavicencio is at 32 Calle Gliceria Marella, Taal, Batangas.