Bolívar Hacienda, which once belonged to the Bolívar family, is situated in San Mateo town, about 20km east of Maracay. The home was gifted to them in 1593 when they settled in Venezuela from Spain. In the beginning of the 18th century, the family set up a sugarcane mill on this land and used African slaves to work the crops. Then in 1841, Simon Bolivar established a military camp on the hacienda that came under fierce attacks from the royal army.