La Blanquera
La Blanquera (the Blanco's place) is a Spanish Colonial building in the city of San Carlos in Venezuela. This house was built by a wealthy family of cattle ranchers from the lands of Andalucia, Spain by the name of Blanco y Salazar during the second half of the 18th century. This house is white and has Baroque decorative features including columns with aborigines wearing feathered headgear. According to the traditional story, Don Joseph Blanco y Salazar built and used this house as a place of retirement for him and his family after the pacification of the Apure aborigines.
The Blancos, discoverers of Apure
The conquistador Don Joseph Blanco y Salazar was born October, 1690 in the Spanish village of Galaroza in the archbishopric of Seville, Spain. He was the son of the Alférez Juan Martin Blanco y Maria Salazar y Sanchez. He traveled to Venezuela when was just a boy around the year of 1702 at the side of his uncle and father of his future wife, Don Francisco Salazar y Sanchez. There he joined the Third Order of Saint Francis to comply with the royal decree of colonization of the Indies of 1676. Don Jose along with his ancestors, participated in the conquest of what is today the estate of Apure looking to also expand his congested cattle lands in San Carlos. On August 28, 1726 he married his cousin Clara Teresa Salazar y Sanchez and had 7 sons and daughters: Maria Rosalia, José Santiago, Sebastian Fabian, Alejandro, Juan Martin, Juana Josefa, y Francisco Antonio. For his legendary exploits against elements and savage Indians these conquered lands were granted to him by the King of Spain through a royal decree...
"As a gift, in thankfulness for having been the Discoverers of Apure and its Founders"
Venezuelan independence
During the times of the independence war in Venezuela, the city of San Carlos was in the middle of the front lines and was abandoned not only by the action of the Spanish forces but by the 1812 earthquake. During this war La Blanquera loses its colonial Ambient and turns into vibrant heart of American liberty. According to the historic version provided by Dr. Carrillo, La Blanquera became the general headquarters of the patriot troops during the last phase of the war. In this home of Spaniards Simon Bolivar and his generals planned the strategy for the final battle of the independence war. In the morning of June 23, 1821 El Libertador abandons this historic house and heads towards the battlefield of Carabobo. More than 6,000 troops organized in 3 divisions under the leadership of general Paez, Cedeno and Plaza defeated the Spanish army there. Peter Taffin said the following about the stay of Bolivar here...
"San Jancinto in Caracas saw him being born to life, La Blanquera in San Carlos saw him being born to glory"
La Blanquera today
The illustrious home was expropriated because of its abuse and abandonment Oct 20 1942 by the local government. Many years later it was rescued from its ruins and inaugurated in 1977 with a ceremony where the legitimate descendants of the Blanquera succession participated (today the Guillen family) then it was declared a historical monument. The famed Italian architect Graziano Gasparini spearheaded the reconstruction of the house that now serves as culture house to the people of San Carlos. Inside there are colonial objects, an old pressa church bell from 1801 and historical paintings and photographs
Excerpts from Chapter 1 of the "Biography of the Blanquera House"
On December 2, 1821 Don Carlos Miguel Blanco, son of Maria Germana Blanco presented himself in front of Lieutenant Counsilman of the village of San Carlos de Austria and with a long memoir that mentions that the citizens Juana Josefa and Rosalia Blanco died in the mentioned city and quoting their testament: "the first one leaving the second one heir of the fortune and another brother later who died plagued with dementia which his rightful share felt on Maria Rosalia after his death."
The affirmation of father Buenaventura Hidalgo in the sense that those lands were granted by the King of Spain to the Blanco family in thankfulness for "having been the first discoverers of Apure and its founders", was ratified in the long dossier of this claim with the certification of the public notary and the town council of the city of San Carlos, Miguel Vera. The Councilman certifies that in the dossier of lands there is a Royal Decree that grants the possession of Matiyure to the Blancos because this family reduced the number of Indians that lived there.
The justice of the peace, carrying out the mission that had been given to him, takes the hand of Carlos Miguel Blanco the legitimate descendant of those bizarre discoverers and founders of Apure, and in the presence of all the occupants gives him the land titles for him and his brothers of the mentioned extension of land of labor and cattle located between Matiyure and Arauca. The lands that his grandfather Don Jose Blanco, born in the village of Galaroza, archbishopric of Seville, in the kingdoms of Spain, had acquired along with his ancestors in his exploits of conquistador.
Having concluded his adventures in the lands of Apure, the Blancos move to the Village of San Carlos de Austria looking for a more peaceful existence. There Don Jose enjoys the homelife and the love of family and friends. The village of San Carlos de Austria provides him with the peace that he needs and a sweet companion: Dona Teresa Salazar, his first cousin, who he marries around the year 1726.
Don Jose, man of work and straight conduct, had always had fortune at his side. His testament of 1772 made in the village of San Carlos de Austria is authentic proof of his economic prosperity and profound Catholic sentiments. In this famous document, he requested been entombed in the chapel of Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion and laid to rest with the traditional robes of the Third Order of San Francisco. He also gave instructions of all the religious services that were to be done for the final rest of his soul, then after all the religious requests he declared the following as his:.....
Distinguished by a thousand titles, the family and the house, in the time of the colony as well as the war of independence they are going to have a place forever in our history.
References
- Carrillo Moreno,Jose: Biografia de la casa Blanquera - Italgrafica.
- http://www.huelvainformacion.es/article/huelva/769363/galaroza/venezuela/tras/la/pista/jose/blanco/y/salazar.html