Quema House (Vigan, Philippines)
Encyclopedia
The Quema House is the ancestral home
of the Quema family in the Philippines
. Built in the 1820s, it is a historic landmark in the town
of Vigan, Ilocos Sur
in the Philippines. The town itself was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
. This commerce resulted to Chinese migration into the area with subsequent intermarriage between the native inhabitants and the Chinese immigrants. During the Spanish colonial period (1521-1898), Vigan became an important supplier of goods for the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade
, which led to the rise of a new merchant class whose members are of mixed Chinese, native and Spanish ancestry - the Filipino mestizo
s. With their increasing affluence, they built their residential houses (bahay-na-bato) in the eastern district of the town.
. The ground floor was used as storage and as a garage for horse-drawn carriages, while the living quarters were housed in the upper floor. The exterior walls of the upper storey are enclosed by wood-framed, sliding window panels of kapis shells (Placuna placenta
, a thin-shelled oyster). All throughout the living quarters are wide plank hardwood floors.
(Pennsylvania, USA). The house was adjudged as most representative of 18th century architecture unique to the Philippines, a requirement for a Nationality Room. As of 2011, there are 27 Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning, all representing 18th century architecture of different countries. The Philippine Nationality Room will function as a regular classroom for Humanities classes. Target date of construction is set for the summer of 2012.
Ancestral houses of the Philippines
Ancestral houses of the Philippines are homes owned and preserved by the same family for several generations as part of the Filipino family culture. Houses could be a simple house to a mansion, some houses of prominent families had become points of interest or museums in their community because of...
of the Quema family in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Built in the 1820s, it is a historic landmark in the town
Municipalities of the Philippines
A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also called towns . They are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit...
of Vigan, Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital...
in the Philippines. The town itself was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
History
In pre-Hispanic times up to the early 16th century, Vigan was a major commercial center in the region, trading directly with ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. This commerce resulted to Chinese migration into the area with subsequent intermarriage between the native inhabitants and the Chinese immigrants. During the Spanish colonial period (1521-1898), Vigan became an important supplier of goods for the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade
Manila Galleon
The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons were Spanish trading ships that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines, and Acapulco, New Spain . The name changed reflecting the city that the ship was sailing from...
, which led to the rise of a new merchant class whose members are of mixed Chinese, native and Spanish ancestry - the Filipino mestizo
Filipino mestizo
Filipino mestizo is a term used in the Philippines to describe people of mixed Filipino and foreign ancestry. The word mestizo is of Spanish origin, and was originally used in the Americas to only describe people of mixed European and Native American ancestry.- History :Spanish periodThe Spanish...
s. With their increasing affluence, they built their residential houses (bahay-na-bato) in the eastern district of the town.
Style
The Quema House portrays the design of a typical bahay-na-bato (literally, "house of stone") popular among the mestizo class. The roof has a steep pitch suggestive of traditional Chinese architectureChinese architecture
Chinese architecture refers to a style of architecture that has taken shape in East Asia over many centuries. The structural principles of Chinese architecture have remained largely unchanged, the main changes being only the decorative details...
. The ground floor was used as storage and as a garage for horse-drawn carriages, while the living quarters were housed in the upper floor. The exterior walls of the upper storey are enclosed by wood-framed, sliding window panels of kapis shells (Placuna placenta
Placuna placenta
Placuna placenta, also known as capiz or windowpane oyster, is a bivalve marine mollusk in the family of Placunidae. Among the four species in the family, only the Placenta placenta has an outer shell translucent enough for commercial use.-Habitat:The distribution of the mollusk stretches from...
, a thin-shelled oyster). All throughout the living quarters are wide plank hardwood floors.
Philippine Nationality Room
In 2009, the Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh (FAAP) chose the Quema House as the model for the design of a Philippine Nationality Room (PNR) at the Cathedral of Learning in the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
(Pennsylvania, USA). The house was adjudged as most representative of 18th century architecture unique to the Philippines, a requirement for a Nationality Room. As of 2011, there are 27 Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning, all representing 18th century architecture of different countries. The Philippine Nationality Room will function as a regular classroom for Humanities classes. Target date of construction is set for the summer of 2012.