WWII ruins of Talisay City

The gorgeous Italianate ruins at Talisay City were formerly a mansion built in the 1890s by sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson (1865-1948) as a gift to his Portuguese wife. The building was set afire in the early days of World War II to prevent it from falling into the hands of invading Japanese forces, who hoped to use it as there area headquarters. Today the ruins are a tourist attraction with the ruins and grounds owned by Lacson’s great-grandson.