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Thanks to a devastating earthquake in 1875, most of historic Villa del Rosario has been lost. Whatever is left is contained in a small historical complex, Gran Colombia Park (El Parque de la Gran Colombia). It’s located about 20 minutes south of the city of Cúcuta and 2km from the border of Venezuela.
Historic Temple
In 1821, the Congress of Cúcuta met in a church in Villa del Rosario, now known as the Historic Temple (Templo Histórico). Among its participants were Simón Bolívar, Francisco de Paula Santander, and Antonio Nariño. The congress elected Bolívar as president and Santander as vice president of the newly-formed country of Gran Colombia (present day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, and parts of Peru, Guyana, and Brazil). They also approved the draft of the Constitution of 1821, which is considered the first constitution of Colombia. It was in effect until 1831 and the dissolution of Gran Colombia.
The church today is in ruins. Only a partially reconstructed dome, parts of the outer wall, and bases of pillars still exist.
Under the dome, there’s a statue of Bolívar and a few commemorative plaques indicating the important historic event that took place there.
Gran Colombia Park
Around the church, the rest of the park is quite disappointing. It’s not taken care of which is a shame. Weeds grow out of control in some places and there’s an abandoned concession stand. A fading monument list the names of those who took part in the congress and other important information.
Birth House of General Santander
Somewhat detached from the rest of Gran Colombia Park is the Birth House of General Santander (Casa Natal del General Santander). It sits on the north end of the park. This house was the highlight of our visit to Villa del Rosario. Admission is free (as of September 2023), and it’s open daily except Mondays from 8am to noon and 2pm to 5pm.
The house was the birthplace of Francisco de Paula Santander (1792-1840), who lived in the house until the age of 13. It now houses an excellent interactive museum that chronicles the history of Colombia from pre-Columbian and colonial times through Colombian independence. Unfortunately, everything is in Spanish.
A special room is dedicated to Santander and includes several personal items used by the general. I particularly liked the detailed map of his travels through Europe.
After visiting the museum, you can walk around the grounds of the house. They contain several tall palm trees and a patio with a statue of Santander.
Restaurante Los Ochoa
If you’re hungry, we can highly recommend Restaurante Los Ochoa, which is just across the street from the park. Their specialty is chicken, but they serve an excellent picada for two with a delicious mixture of chicken, chorizo, and beef served over a bed of fries. Our waiter recommended pouring the avocado salad onto the picada, which made it even tastier.
Getting There
If you don’t have your own transportation, you can take a bus from Cúcuta heading to San Antonio del Táchira in Venezuela and ask to be let off at the park. Don’t take a bus to Villa del Rosario itself because you’ll end up quite far from the historical complex.
