at Casa Manila

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I have always wanted to explore Manila's colonial past beyond the usual visits to Fort Santiago and Luneta. So each time I get a chance to visit the oldest parts of the city, I try to make sure that I saw something new. 

This time around, Val and I toured Natasha, Dwaine, Veronica, and Melissa around Intramuros. Our first museum stop after lunch at Barbara's was Casa Manila. It's supposed to depict what life was like for the 19th century alta de sociedad. Rich families must have lived there because it's just across the cobblestoned streets from the San Agustin Church. Val's been to Intramuros before but he was so surprised that he hadn't encountered Barbara's til our visit.

What I noticed with this house was its eclectic aesthetic, particularly in the sala, living room. It blended Chinese artwork with Spanish architecture... an embodiment of fusion interior design, if I ever saw one. Somehow, it reminded me of the Chinese stylised clouds of Paoay Church (a random thought, I know, but Baroque architecture alongside Asian design elements can be deemed as similar to the Casa Museum interior design, in my opinion).


The owner of the house had a penchant for nature-scapes. Perhaps, he grew up in a rural area but had to further his education in Manila; and he was able to build his house there afterwards.


Further inside the sala, I found that the 19th century Filipinos did a lot of things to occupy their time. Some learned how to play musical instruments; some napped; some probably played board games in this brightly lit room.  





The dining room, comidor, consisted of a long table, several opulent chairs, and fruits in a bowl. But I particularly noticed the coloured paper with cutouts... these are the traditional wrappers of pastillas de leche. And I haven't seen these in a long time!


While I was ogling at how rich these people were (based on their furniture), Val went straight to the cocina, kitchen. The display suggested that the owners enjoyed fresh bread and cookies everyday because there was a huge oven to one side.  There were a variety of irons as well. So, if there's power interruption, people could still use these irons.






From the kitchen, we had a good view of the central fountain below and of the other houses surrounding Casa Manila.



The rich 19th century Filipino family certainly enjoyed a lot of luxuries. Casa Manila was an avenue to see such wealthy lifestyle. I'm glad that I was able to explore this museum. 

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