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Casa Real de Iloilo
Façade of Casa Real de Iloilo, October 2022
Location in the Philippines
Alternative names	Old Iloilo Provincial Capitol
General information
Status	Fully restored
Town or city	Iloilo City
Country	Philippines
Coordinates	10°42′07″N 122°34′09″E / 10.7019°N 122.5691°E / 10.7019; 122.5691
Completed	1869
Renovated	2015
National Historical Landmarks
Designated	2010

The Casa Real de Iloilo (transl. Royal House of Iloilo), also known as the Old Iloilo Provincial Capitol, was the seat of the provincial government of Iloilo in the Philippines since the Spanish colonial period until 2006. It also served as the residence of the alcalde-mayor, presidente municipal, or governor, who held the highest authority as the Spanish official in Iloilo during the period.

Constructed in 1869, it is considered the first provincial capitol building in the Philippines. It is located at the junction of General Luna Street and Muelle Loney Street in Iloilo City, standing next to the new Iloilo Provincial Capitol. The National Historical Institute (NHI) formally recognized the Old Capitol as a historical landmark through a marker installed on its walls on April 11, 2010.

In 2022, the National Museum of the Philippines declared Casa Real de Iloilo, together with the Arroyo Fountain, an Important Cultural Property (ICP).

History

The Casa Real de Iloilo was originally a one-story stone building where the provincial government offices were located after its completion in 1869. Gov. Enrique Fajardo finished construction of the second story in 1873, with first-class wood and a galvanized iron roof. He was also the first governor to establish an official residence in what was at the time the biggest and most elegant provincial capitol in the Philippines. Two publications in Madrid hailed it as "the magnificent Casa Real" and "the best of its kind, the most commodious and largest in the Philippines."

On April 11, 1901, the U.S. Philippine Commission headed by William Howard Taft inaugurated the civil government of Iloilo and inducted Gen. Martin T. Delgado as the first provincial governor at the Casa Real. Seven years later, on December 27, 1907, Gov. Benito Lopez was assassinated in the same building. The Casa Real was renovated in 1910 and heavily damaged in World War II. A large annex was built after the war, but it was gutted by fire on November 4, 1998. As a result, the new Iloilo Provincial Capitol was constructed behind the building and was completed in 2006.

Casa Real de Iloilo now mostly serves as a venue for private parties, government functions, and cultural events. Governors held their inaugural and induction ceremonies at the Old Capitol.

The building was declared a historical landmark in 2010 by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. It was restored in 2015 for the Independence Day celebration.

Architecture

The building's architecture initially adhered to the traditional Filipino bahay na bato style, characterized by a concrete ground floor and a wooden upper floor. This design included intricate interior details, a grand staircase, and spacious halls.

See also

• Iloilo Provincial Capitol

References

1. Demy P. Sonza (2016). "Casa Real de Iloilo: The Tale of a Heritage Provincial Capitol". The Journal of History. 62 (1): 1–1.
2. "You are being redirected..." www.panaynews.net. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
3. ^ Demy P. Sonza (2016). "Casa Real de Iloilo: The Tale of a Heritage Provincial Capitol". The Journal of History. 62 (1): 1–1.
4. "Casa Real De Iloilo | Iloilo Provincial Government". iloilo.gov.ph. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
5. "Casa de Real Iloilo". Guide to the Philippines. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
6. "Information about Casa de Real Iloilo". Guide to the Philippines. Retrieved 2024-07-22.

External links

• Media related to Casa Real de Iloilo at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Iloilo City Proper
Downtown Iloilo
Buildings	Casa Real de Iloilo Celso Ledesma House Fort San Pedro (Iloilo) Iloilo Central Market Iloilo City Hall Iloilo Freedom Grandstand Iloilo Provincial Capitol Old Iloilo City Hall San Jose Church (Iloilo) SM Delgado Terranza Residences Iloilo Calle Real Elizalde Building Eusebio Villanueva Building Hoskyn's Department Store Iloilo Customs House
Squares and monuments	Arroyo Fountain Plaza Libertad Sunburst Park
Museums	Museo Iloilo Museum of Philippine Economic History Museum of Philippine Maritime History National Museum Western Visayas
Education	Assumption Iloilo Ateneo de Iloilo – Santa Maria Catholic School Cabalum Western College Colegio de las Hijas de Jesus Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Hua Siong College of Iloilo St. Paul University Iloilo Sun Yat Sen High School University of Iloilo University of San Agustin University of the Philippines Visayas
Transportation	Forbes Bridge General Luna Street Iloilo Fish Port Complex Iznart Street J.M. Basa Street Muelle Loney Street Panay Railways Plazoleta Gay Port of Iloilo
Related	Dinagyang Kasadyahan Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Iloilo Santo Niño de Cebú
Italics denote buildings under construction or defunct.

• Buildings and structures in Iloilo City Proper
• Tourist attractions in Iloilo City
• Local government buildings in the Philippines
• Provincial capitols in the Philippines
• Official residences in the Philippines