Heritage village of Vigan City Philippines. The historic town of Vigan was established in the late-1500s, during the Spanish domination of the Philippines, and still has the same look and feel hundreds of years later. The well-preserved city is the capital of Ilocos Sur, in the northwest of Luzon, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city's full name at the time of its Spanish foundation was Villa Fernandina, or "Town of Ferdinand", in honor of Prince Ferdinand, the firstborn son of Kin