The Nakpil-Bautista Historical House: Home of the Katipuneros

     Philippines has alot of historical landmarks that remind people now a days of the events that took place from the time of the spanish era of the early 14th century to the period of japanese occupation during and thw WW2.   They are all over the country and Manila alone has numerous historical  sites and each one of them speaks it's  own story telling the people what our heroes had gone through just to earn the freedom.
     These historical places are usually visited not only for their historical background but also to their divine and pristine  beauties.
     The city of Manila has the Rizal park ( formerly known as bagong barrio during the spanish era),  The hunted Fort Santiogo,  The old walled city of Intramuros,  the home of the black Nazarene Quiapo church,  the enormous Manila Cathedral, the Del Monte bridge of San Juan and the crowded china town of Binondo. These are some of some of the popular tourist spots in Manila for so many years. Just recently, there was another site that was declared as a historical landmark which will definitely add to the list of Manila's popular tourist destinations and that is the "Nakpil-Bautista house."

     In the heart of Manila, the district of Quiapo is the location of the Nakpil-Bautista house.  On August 25, 2011, it was declared as a hisrorical landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP). It ia now a museum  that features items of the katipuneros and artworks made by the Nakpil family.
     Katipuneros are revolutionary soldiers/infantry who fought for the Philippine independence against the spanish and americans  and in the Nakpil-Bautista house lived some of the great contributors and leaders of katipuneros.   Dr. Ariston Bautista,  Doctor of Medicine and a member of the propaganda movement, Gregoria De Jesus,  the lakambini of Katipuneros and the widow revolutionary supreme leader Andres Bonifacio who later on became a wife of Julio Nakpil and Julio Nakpil,  a composer and the vice supreme leader of Andress Bonifacio.

(Left) Dr. Ariston Bautista (Upper right) Julio Nakpil
(Lower right)  Grogoria De Jesus
Photo courtesy of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista museum 

History and background

THE HOUSE OF NAKPIL-BAUTISTA

Was built under the management of Ariston Bautista Lin(1863-1928) and her wife, Petrona Nakpil by the well known architect, Arcado Arellano in 1914. Dr. Bautista was a doctor of medicine,  philanthropist and inventor cholera vacine.  Here also lived Julio Nakpil (1877-1960), a revolutionarist and composer of the hymns of katipunan.  His wife,  Gregoria De Jesus(1876-1943), was the lakambini of katipunan and a widow of Andres Bonifacio.  Their son,  Juan Nakpil(1899-1980) and a cousin, Angel (1914-1979) were well known archtect.  The house was also a meeting place of silver smith and was a famous jewelry shop because of the intricate designs of the jewelries.

The Nakpil-Bautista house in early 1900s
Photo courtesy of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista museum

The Nakpil-Bautista house decorated for a festival in the 1930s
Photo courtesy of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista museum being provided as a post card upon admission to the museum.

    The house resembles 1900's Viennese architecture, it was believed that the house had it's inspiration from vienna secession making it unique.  One can really tell that this house was a first class built and typifies a lavish urban Filipino style that stands out during those times.  The house still has it's  original wooden frame and sliding windows.  It has 2 stories with wood and stones as primary construction materials.

Street view:

The original wooden door as the main entrance

Ground floor:

The Zaguan - Parking area for caleza(carriage)

The receiving area

Antesala (anteliving room) 

Room dedicated to Julio Nakpil
Here you can see some of compositions and letters.
Photocopy of letters of Andres Bonifacio are also a part of the exhibits 

Wooden stairway to the second floor

Second Floor:

The Hallway or Caida

The main living room

This historical long wooden chair said to be where Jose Rizal and
 Andres Bonifacio discussed and organized the "La liga filipina".

The main attraction of the main living room is this portrait.
It's only a replica because the original canvas is worth
millions of dollars and is now placed in the Philippine
National Museum of fine arts

Room dedicated to Gregoria De Jesus

The dining room

The room dedicated to Katipuneros showing the different
Katipunero flags of different provinces. 

Auction room and this was also the Nakpil's Jewelry shop

The bedroom of Julio and Gregoria

Room dedicated to Ariston Bautista Lin

The Azotea ( Terrace) 

      Now this historical house is being managed by Julio Nakpil and Gregoria De Jesus great grand son,  Dominic Faustino.
     The Nakpil-Bautista house is made opened for people to see and cherish the legacies left behind by the Katipuneros who fought for the Filipino people and for the independence of the country.

     The house can also be used for exhibits of young artists and spacious rooms can be leased for symposium, meetings and seminars.

Address:

432 A.  Bautista st.,
(formerly Barbosa st.)
Quiapo, Manila
Philippines


Museum Hours:

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
From 9:30 am to 4:30pm
Official holidays: CLOSED

For inquiries and reservations,
Look for Ms. Bobbi Nakpil Santos-Viola
President of Bahay Nakpil-Bautista Foundation, Inc.
(632)731 9305
(63)917 851 7455

Sources:

bahaynakpil.org
lonelytraveler.com
iadmonkeyhostels.com
news.abs-cbn.com>bahaynakpil