He is a good and responsible congressman known for his legislations that benefited not only his constituents but the whole country as well – Floro S. Crisologo.

Crisologo Museum is one of the notable landmarks in Vigan City, consisting of the preserved ancestral home of statesman Floro S. Crisologo. It features the family’s memorabilia and private collection of religious figures as well as some permanent exhibits that have to do with Northern Luzon’s history, ethnography, archeology, and natural history. It is continuously managed by the Crisologo family, a political clan, along with the National Historical Institute under the auspices of the National Museum of the Philippines.

Floro S. Crisologo’s Great Contributions

Floro S. Crisologo is a responsible congressman who authored the laws behind the creation of the North’s first state university, the University of Northern Philippines, and the establishment of the Social Security System which serves today as an insurance corporation for private companies.

Tragedy Behind the Walls of the Museum

The tragic death of Floro Crisologo is the reason why Crisologo Museum was established. On a Sunday in October 1970, while he was inside the St. Paul’s Cathedral, Congressman Crisologo was shot in the head by a still unidentified gunman. Despite her misery, Carmeling Crisologo, Floro's widow, announced that she would not take any action to exact revenge. The murder remains unsolved to this day.

There is also an old car where Mrs. Crisologo survived an assassination attempt while she was pregnant and serving as the governor of the province. Her child was given the name of Bullet because of that incident.

Memory of Crisologo Museum

The Crisologo Family made sure that the life and death of their father will still remain through the establishment of the museum which brings back the memory of the tragic event.

The Crisologo mansion consists of a large old solidly built 2-storey structure with a ground floor made of brick. The walls of the ground floor are thick and the windows have iron and steel grills. On the other hand, the upper floor is made of concrete and hardwood and has colintipay windows.

The highlight of the museum focuses on the patriarch’s 1970 assassination including the unwashed pants and shoes that Crisologo had been wearing when he was shot, with his bloodstains still visible. Black-and-white photographs of the incident are displayed above the clothes.

The museum contains a collection of heirloom furnishings of the type that are typically found in Vigan ancestral homes, including the desk used by Crisologo during his term as congressman. It also houses Governor Carmeling Crisologo’s collection of different saints or “santos”. The memorabilia of the family patriarch, Floro Crisologo, can be found in the museum as well. There are also scrapbooks of clippings about the members of the Crisologo Family starting from the 1950s.

There is a library and study where visitors can view the book collection and numerous news clippings about this political family, especially about the patriarch’s death. There are also exhibits of documents and artifacts that relate to the geology, zoology, archeology, ethnography, and history of Vigan and of the entire Northern Luzon area.

Location of Crisologo Museum

The Crisologo Museum is found along De Los Reyes Street in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, and the street after Crisologo Street coming from the Vigan Cathedral. It is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mondays to Saturdays.