Quinta de Anauco

Captain Don Juan Javier Mijares de Solórzano y Pacheco, grandson of the first Marquis of Mijares bought land outside the historic town of Caracas and had a luxury country mansion built as a holiday home for his family, in 1797. The house became known as "La Casa de Solórzano".

Nowadays it stands in the suburbs of San Bernardino, and can easily be reached through the Boyaca highway. It is enclosed by shady gardens with cobbled walkways and a charming patio.

In 1821, the family feared for their personal safety and emigrated to the island of Curaçao. The estate and its belongings were then expropriated and the house was rented to general Francisco Rodríguez del Toro, Marquis of  Toro, in 1826. It was from this time on that it became known as "Quinta de Anauco".

A ball was staged here in honour of Simón Bolívar’s last night in Caracas in July 1827: he was never to return alive. However, Bolivar influenced the marquis to buy the house, which he did. The estate remained in the family for four decades. It continued to host parties for important families and was also the residence of Richard Bigham, the chargé d´affaires of England.

In 1860 the house was sold to Don Domingo Eraso and in 1958 his grandchildren donated it to the State of Venezuela to host the museum of colonial art. After some restoration works Quinta de Anauco opened in 1961 as Museum of Colonial Art.

I love porcelain. I had to ask permission to take this photograph

This museum is considered one of the finest museums of its kind in Latin America. It will  transport you to the colonial era, with its cane ceilings and iron windows so typical of the period.

Colonial armchair (butaca) and corner table

                                         Colonial canopy bed

This beautiful candle lamp reminded me of a pink one my grandmother had, which was later electrified

painted wall

 Ming dynasty flower vase (17th century)

The permanent collection  includes paintings, religious sculptures many pieces of furniture and porcelain.

Photographs with flash are not permitted, but the house is too dark to enable good pictures from being taken, with the exception, however, of the kitchen which opens to the garden. It was built apart from the main house so as not to disturb it with either potent odors or smoke.

You can not eat the fruits of this tree...

... but you can make kitchen utensils out of them.

References
http://www.quintadeanauco.org.ve/recorrid.htm