Ilocos Sur is where the Ilocos Region’s myriad of cultures and histories converge to become a living museum of a spirited past. The historic city of Vigan, inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1999, was established in the 16th century. Vigan is the best preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia.

Calle Crisolo located in the Heritage City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur

Centuries-old Sta. Maria Church, was inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List as an excellent example of Baroque Churches in the Philippines.

The ubiquitous old and ancestral houses and churches have made the local tourism industry a major contributor to the province’s economy.

Ilocos Sur Photos

                       

Calle Crisologo in Vigan, Ilocos Sur

It is a World Heritage Site in that it is one of numerous Hispanic towns in the Philippines, and is well-known for its cobblestone streets, and a unique architecture that fuses Philippine building design, and construction with colonial European architecture.

The historic town of Vigan was inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in November 1999. Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines and from China with those from Europe to create a unique culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. Its Kamestizoan District is replete with ancestral houses with ancient tiled roofs, massive hardwood floorings, ballustrades and azoteas in varying Spanish-Mexican-Chinese architectural styles.