Heritage house MiraNila, owned by the Benitez family, is now open to museum-goers and library patrons.
The Benitez ancestral home, declared a heritage house 8 years ago in April 2011 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), also opened its doors as an event venue.
Built in 1929 during the American period at the top of Mariposa Hill (then part of part of San Juan, Rizal and now of Cubao, Quezon City), the Benitez mansion is witness to the country’s history after surviving the Japanese invasion, and World War II.
Patterned after the architecture of houses in Florence, Italy, it is said that the mansion got its name in 1932 as its residents saw an ongoing fire in Manila from the top of the hill.
The MiraNila property of the late Constitutionalist Conrado Benitez and wife Francisca Tirona-Benitez, was graced by some of the most prominent figures in Philippine history in its halls such as the Philippine Commonwealth officials, and Japanese imperial army officers. The family reclaimed the mansion after the war.
MiraNila now houses artworks, antique furniture, souvenirs, old books and manuscripts dating back to the 1800s. It was turned into a museum and library through the efforts of the Benitez-Tirona MiraNila Foundation.
Quezon City’s heritage gem also keeps the family’s painted portraits rendered by the country’s finest artists such as Pablo and Fernando Amorsolo, Macario Vitalis, Fabian de la Rosa, Simon Flores, Antonio Malantic, and Diosdado M. Lorenzo.
MiraNila surely transports visitors back to the country’s bygone era through its
artworks and memorabilia.
Those who wish to see MiraNila Heritage House, Library & Pavilion for tours, contact +632 7220243, +63945 4876827, or helenazbenitez@gmail.com. MiraNila’s catering partner is Bizu Catering Studio at +63945 2577674 or www.facebook.com/BizuCateringStudio.
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