Hacienda El Toboso (Tito Salas House)

Hacienda El Toboso, near Petare, is a place steeped in history and art. Originally a coffee estate, it was turned into a convent before becoming the home of the famous painter Tito Salas, who left a deep mark on Venezuelan culture.

Today this beautiful property houses the Tito Salas House of Culture, a space dedicated to preserving his artistic legacy and promoting cultural activities.

In this article we explore its rich history, its architecture and its cultural relevance today.

History of Hacienda El Toboso

Hacienda El Toboso is located on the way up to Mesuca, on the old Petare - Santa Lucía road, very close to El Cerrito. The estate was originally used for growing coffee and also had some dairy cattle. Over time it was acquired by a religious order, which turned it into a convent.

Later the estate changed hands and was bought by José Antonio Salas, who used it as a weekend family retreat. After José Antonio's death, it was inherited by his son, the famous painter Tito Salas, known for his works on the Bolivarian epic. Tito Salas moved to the estate with his wife Carmen and his daughters Valentina, Morella and Dolores, living there from 1931 until 1974, the year he died.

Tito Salas's legacy at El Toboso

Tito Salas named the estate Hacienda El Toboso, inspired by his love of Cervantes's Don Quixote, and placed it under the protection of its patroness, the Virgen del Carmen. Here the painter produced much of his work and often held gatherings with distinguished friends such as Eduardo Carreño, Andrés Eloy Blanco and Isaías Medina Angarita.

After Tito Salas's death, his daughter Morella Salas kept living at the estate until 1993, when it was sold to the National Council of Culture (CONAC). After a careful restoration, it opened on 15 June 2015 as the Hacienda El Toboso "Casa Tito Salas" Cultural Center, open to the public to honor the painter's life and work.

Layout of the estate

The Hacienda El Toboso complex covers 13,403 square meters and includes three houses. The main house is C-shaped, with a long outer corridor whose windows look out over the Historic Center of Petare, a view Tito Salas recreated in several of his paintings.

Inside, the house is arranged in a narrow bay of eight rooms opening onto the corridor. At the back, another corridor connects the main building with two perpendicular wings. The north wing houses the studio where Tito Salas worked, while the south wing has three bedrooms and a bathroom.

Tito Salas House of Culture

Today the estate is known as the Tito Salas House of Culture, a space dedicated to cultural outreach and to preserving Tito Salas's artistic legacy. As well as a cultural center, it has become a meeting point for anyone who wants to learn about the history and art that shaped the life of this distinguished Venezuelan painter.

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