J & L Marañon Art House Reopens: A Guide to Bacolod’s Most Unique Attraction

Finally! The most awesome and “bizarre” house in Bacolod is open once again! The J & L Marañon Art House on Osmeña Street (Beside Planta hotel) has opened its doors to the public! 🏛️✨

Owned by Jesse and Ligaya Marañon, this house is full of eye-catching sculptures, decorations, and mosaics—mostly done by brilliant local artist Michael Villarosa! 🎨🖌️

The house has scared away a lot of superstitious people who are afraid of the gargoyles, (yes, there are gargoyles!), the terracotta warriors and the strange Greek sculptures on the roof! In fact, if you look upwards, a centaur wielding a bow is taking aim at visitors at the front gate! 🏹👹

I’ve been coming back to the J & L Marañon house since way back before 2012 (one of my website articles is the definitive guide to the place). Jesse and his wife, who are based in London, established the art house just to fill it with the things and sculptures that they loved. They wanted to fill it with beautiful things that everyone in Bacolod can experience! 🇬🇧🏠

It is a visual feast when you walk in the gate! There are beautiful sculptures, mosaics, and paintings by Michael Villarosa. Medusas twine around pillars with marbles as scales… Atlas holds up a globe while titans hold up the corners of the room! 🐍🌍

A massive Pieta dominates the ground floor, along with a garden that has iron grapevines (complete with iron grapes) that twine toward a balcony. Don’t forget to see the pond with the massive stone head staring at guests as they arrive! 🗿🍇

The main entrance is dominated by a light fixture with grapes and vines twining around the ceiling! I like to call this the “fairy room” because of the beautiful duende and fairy sculptures around the light switches! 🧚‍♂️✨

In one corner is a massive mural following that of Leonardo da Vinci, while another nook imitates an Italian rustic bathhouse complete with relief sculptures! 🇮🇹🖼️

My two favorite rooms are the “underwater-themed” dining room and the gold rose dining room! 🌊🌹

On the second floor (which was under renovation at the time of my visit) are murals of landmarks from around the world—including the house itself! 🗺️📍

The owners’ collection of books and plates can be seen on the second floor, and through a narrow spiral staircase, you can visit the roof where the sculptures can be seen up close and you get a great view of Bacolod! 📚🌀

You can visit the Marañon Art House on Osmeña Street—walk-ins are welcome! For now, its open on Saturday afternoons. Donations are encouraged to help with the renovations and upkeep of the house. 🎟️🙌

Old article here: https://bacolodfoodhunters.com/2012/08/02/j-l-maranon-art-house-visit-this-now/