Hacienda Zuleta - Colonial Haciendas in Ecuador


	Colonial Hacienda in Ecuador - History and Archaeology

Pre-Incan and Incan Period

To visit Hacienda Zuleta is to experience four centuries of Ecuadorian history seeped in Pre-Colombian, Spanish and Ecuadorian tradition.

The original inhabitants of the Zuleta region were the peace-loving Caranquis. They were an agrarian-based culture and flourished in this area rich in volcanic soils from about 800 A.D. until the arrival of the war-faring Incas in the late 1470's.


	Caranqui Pyramid on the grounds of Hacienda Zuleta


	Although the Caranquis fought stoically against the Inca for forty years, they were eventually conquered and forced into Inca servitude. Yet Inca rule was short-lived. By 1534, the last Inca king, Atahualpa, had been captured and assassinated by the Spanish conquistador, Pizarro, leaving the Inca empire in collapse and a free for all for the land-hungry vassals of the Spanish Crown.



	Execution of Atahualpa by Pizarro, marking the end of Inca domination in the Zuleta region, and the beginning of Spanish rule

Jesuit Occupation

In the late 16th century, King Carlos is believed to have bequeathed the Zuleta region to the Jesuits, who implemented their Spanish methods of farming and cattle and sheep production. In the following years an ‘obraje’ (small wool mill) was established. By 1691, the Hacienda house, granary and chapel were completed and the farm was in full operation.

Private Ownership of Zuleta

However, in 1713, under the direction of King Charles III, the property was confiscated and transferred to Canon Gabriel Zuleta, thus making Zuleta his seventeenth Hacienda. From this day forth the farm became known as Cochicaranqui de Zuleta. Upon the Canon’s death, the farm passed to the Posse family, who were inspired to bring the Hacienda back to its previous 17th century grandeur.

The Plaza-Lasso Family

Yet it wasn’t until the farm was sold to Jose Maria Lasso in 1898 and passed through two more generations to Galo Plaza Lasso, the ex-President of Ecuador, bullfighter and diplomat, that Zuleta recaptured its original prosperity. A farmer at heart, Lasso was an ardent supporter of modern agriculture and through this conviction he was the first to bring Holstein cows, systematic seed selection and tractors to Ecuador. Zuleta was his flagship, the place where each of these technologies were showcased.

Zuleta Embroidery Workshop

Meanwhile, Doña Rosario (Galo’s wife), established the Zuleta Embroidery Workshop. Doña Rosario had long observed the Zuleteña women’s affinity for intricate embroidery, so it seemed natural that they should use this skill to supplement family incomes. The idea took off with the assistance of a Peace Corps volunteer. The Zuleteña women started working together at the Hacienda’s workshop and at home, creating exquisitely embroidered tablecloths, place mats, blouses and towels, often especially ordered by the Hacienda’s illustrious guests and world-leaders.



Zuletena women in traditional embroidered dress

	Land Reform In another gesture of social consciousness, Galo bequeathed 400 acres in 1963 to Hacienda workers, thus further solidifying the bond between Hacienda Zuleta, the Plaza-Lasso family and the local communities. In 1971, a time of national land reform, the ex-President gave another 2,011 hectares to Zuleteño workers. Contemporary Zuleta In 1987, Gallo Plaza Lasso passed away, and the farm was once again handed down to the next generation. Currently, the farm is managed by Galo Plaza Jr. and his nephew, Fernando Polanco. In honor of his grandfather, Fernando, along with other family members, created the Galo Plaza Lasso Foundation, which today carries forth the ex-President’s vision of always striving to create a better Ecuador.

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