Exploring Ilocos : Crisologo Museum

After attending the mass in Vigan Cathedral and dropping by at Legion of Mary House (Check : Exploring Ilocos – Vigan Cathedral and Legion of Mary House), we decided to stroll around the Calle Crisologo. We didn’t get a chance to embrace its beauty by the time we arrived on our first day. It was night and dark and the streets are filled with overwhelming crowds (Check: Vigan By Night). We were only aiming to buy some souvenirs when we came across an interesting attraction, the Crisologo Museum! It is basically a two-story ancestral house showcasing antiques and memorabilia dedicated to the famous Crisologo clan of Ilocos.

Interestingly, the museum is freely accessible to everyone. There is NO entrance fee but they have a donation box where visitors are encouraged to donate.The museum which is converted from a private ancestral mansion will feature wide range of artifacts dedicated to the prominent Crisologo clans most especially to pay tribute to the late Floro S. Crisologo , a former congressman in Ilocos Sur who was unfortunately assassinated while attending a mass in Vigan Cathedral in 1970.

The assassination took place on October 1970 where Floro S Crisologo was shot in the head by an unidentified gunman. Interestingly, the mystery behind the killing is still unsolved. The museum was established to honor the legacy left by the late congressman and their clans.

There is no tour guide or any personnel in the museum to guide you all through out but everything you need to know are mostly displayed already. There are also markers and velvet ropes to guide you on which area to explore first and where to conclude it.

The former congressman was actually the author behind some notable bills including the establishment of the University of the Northern Philippines. It is also interesting to note that prior to his death the congressman was in the process of having a bill approved to abolish the death penalty because he believed that death was not the solution to stopping crime.

Some of the items showcased in the museum are old soldier uniforms similar to what we’ve seen in Aguinaldo Shrine in Cavite (Check : Exploring Aguinaldo Mansion) or even in the Malacañang of the North (Check: Malacañang of the North)

Various Plaques and recognition were displayed in one of the rooms. These are not just dedicated to Floro Crisologo alone but also t his wife Carmeling Crisologo who also became a governor of Ilocos Sur from 1964 to 1971. She was re-elected several times until she was defeated in 1971 by her cousin Chavit Singson . In Ilocos Sur there was a bloody rivalry between the Singsons and the Crisologos in the 1960s and 1970s for political power in Ilocos Sur.


Armory and some personal collections were also displayed in the museum.

Portraits of Crisologo Family

This table is dedicated to Carmeling Crisologo




Newspaper clippings and other memorabilla

I also learned that Floro Crisologo was an active member of Knights of Columbus too! He got various medals on display

The second floor is more interesting. It features a lot of antique furniture and huge picture frames hanging on the walls. It was like traveling back it time!

In one of the corners of the room, you’ll spot a collection of saint and Marian image replicas

A long dining table will welcome you on one of its rooms

A smaller one adorned with some antique displays and Chinaware

The dirty kitchen with various artifacts and an old bulky refrigerator similar to what I have seen in Baldomero Aguinaldo Mansion (Check : Baldomero Aguinaldo Mansion)


A collection of antique wooden rocking chairs


The bedroom


The tour will conclude on the basement and you’ll also spot this wonderful collection of hats from different provinces in the Philippines.

On the basement, you’ll see an interesting collection of old and vintage vehicles including this well preserved carriage (Carruaje)


Calesa

There is also a vintage car in which Carmeling Crisologo was ambushed yet she survived it on May 10, 1961. It seems like th political war in Ilocos by that time was pretty much intense and violent.


Dadapilan , a device used to extract juice from sugar canes

Another ancestral house located just beside the Crisologo mansion.
It was indeed an interesting and highly educational trip for all of us. After exploring the museum, we went back to Calle Crisologo to buy our souvenirs. We also dropped by at Vigan Public Market before heading to Hidden Garden Lilong and Lilang Restaurant where we had our Ilokano lunch! The place was crowded that we had to wait for 2 hours before our turn. So while we wait, we decided to pay a visit to the famous Baluarte ni Chavit!

Things You Should Know Before Visiting the Crisologo Museum
►The museum is located at Liberation Boulevard, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur
►There is no entrance fee to Crisologo Museum. It is free but visitors were encouraged to offer donation for the buildings maintenance.
►The two-story museum was converted from an ancestral mansion of Crisologo Family
►It was merely dedicated to the late Floro Crisologo who was assassinated in 1970
►On the basement, you will see the clothes and shoes that is worn by Floro Crisologo by the time he was shot
►The museum is open everyday (even in Holiday) from 8:30am-4:30pm (with lunchbreak)

How to get to Vigan
►There are many bus lines from Manila that caters daily trips to Laoag which passes by Vigan. The trips usually made through North Luzon Expressway and Manila North Road passing through the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan and La Union

WHERE TO STAY IN VIGAN
►Since we are a huge group, we realized that it is more practical for us to get a transient house in Vigan. We stayed in Carlainton Transient House which offers a very spacious set of rooms (good enough to accommodate us all). They have an Honest Store here which is really a new experience for me. Anyway, there’s an overwhelming amount of lodges, transient houses and hotels in Vigan. If you are looking for a luxurious hotel experience, you might consider hotels like Ciudad Fernandina (Check Details Here) or the Hotel Salcedo De Vigan (Check Here). For Solo Backpackers or Couples who are in budget, you can try Balai Mestizo which is just one kilometer away from Calle Crisologo. Check the list of affordable Ilocos Sur Hotels here! (I personally prefer TravelBook Ph because of their “Pay At Hotel” service which doesn’t require any credit cards when booking).

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