Its remaining structure is a reflection of love, strength and passion. Love, because the mansion was built in memory of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson's wife, Maria Braga who passed away due to an accident while pregnant with their 11th child. Strength because the mansion has withstood the chaos during World War II. And passion because this was built with high-quality materials and perfection.
I was referring to The Ruins found in Talisay City, Negros Occidental which is also known as the Taj Mahal of the province because of the reason why the mansion was built.
The Ruins is an Italianate architecture with neo-Romanesque twin columns. The mansion's posts are molded by the couple's initial M and M. Moreover, the mansion is marine-themed in honor of Maria Braga's father who was a ship captain.
Duing World War 2, the mansion was destroyed by the United States Armed Forces and the guerilla fighters so that this will not be used by the Japanese as their headquarters. With this, the mansion's roof and the 2-inch thick wooden floors were burned leaving the mansion's skeletal frame.
More than the well-built foundations, I was also amazed by the story behind the construction of the mansion and how it survived time for our generation and the next generations to at least feel a husband's deep love to his wife.
Here is a glimpse of the Taj Mahal of Negros Occidental - - - The Ruins.
Going there, we rented a tricycle for Php700 (more or less 14 USD) from Campuestohan Highland Resort (https://steemit.com/travel/@naojakyl/the-amazing-mountain-resort-campuestohan-highland-resort ). The Ruins is more or less 30 minutes away from the highland resort.
Visiting the Ruins added flavor to our Negros Occidental trip. Personally, I was amazed on how the mansion survived the challenge of time. A century had passed but the mansion's foundation is still intact. This is a good reflection when it comes to life. That no matter how many times we fall because of our trials, we remain standing as we battle these challenges.
Never leave Negros Occidental without visiting The Ruins.