OUR HISTORY

Sugar and Honey

The first news about Hacienda San José dates back to 1688 when Rosa Josefa de Muñantones and Aguado married Don Andrés Salazar. As a dowry, she contributed to the marriage the manor house and its church next to an estate located in the valley of Chincha. As it was surrounded by noble houses of the Jesuits, San Jose had to develop in order to excel. It was later transformed into a sugar plantation containing 87 black slaves. Sugar cane produced two of the sweetest and most valued products in those times: sugar and honey.
 

San Jose and San Regis

In 1764, a new marriage strengthens the establishment located in San José: the daughter of Don Agustín de Salazar and Muñantones, Rosa Salazar Gaviño, married Don Fernando Carrillo de Albornoz and Bravo de Lagunas. Both purchased the Hacienda San Regis, which originally belonged to the Jesuits. This union made both properties one of the richest of all Chincha. More than 1,000 slaves worked the lands producing sugar cane and cotton. Pueblo de El Carmen dates back to those times (1811), where many slaves used to hide, escaping from the extensive abuses they had on the plantations.
 

Problems during the independence movement

In 1821, Fernando Carrillo de Albornoz y Salazar, son of Rosa and Fernando, was the owner of the two stately houses of San José and San Regis. The valley of Chincha was surprised to see General Don Jose de San Martin and his troops disembark in Pisco. Some slaves managed to escape from the plantations to join the troops of the Liberator, and Fernando Carrillo de Albornoz and Salazar fled to Spain with two of their children, abandoning his wife Petronila Zavala and his youngest son, José. The Government took possession of the manor and landed just after the desertion; However, Petronila Zavala regained possession of his house in 1827.
 

Smoke in the fields

Finally, Hacienda San José was recovered from the difficulties of the Independence movement. Slavery was abolished in Peru in 1854; However, a large number of slaves continued to work the plantations. Although the birthright was no longer the norm, the eldest son of Petronila, Fernando Carrillo de Albornoz and Zavala Fernando and recovered the property and incorporated a steam tractor recently arrived from Europe.
 

Change of hands

The last heir of Fernando Carrillo de Albornoz and Zavala and Catalina de Mendoza, Julio Carrillo de Albornoz and Mendoza, 25 years old, was slain by the slaves on the main staircase of the manor during the War of the Pacific. Right after his death in 1879, the house was sold by his widow, Catalina del Valle and Osma, to Roberto B. Leguia, the president’s brother. The house was sold by the latter to Manuela Eguren, the widow of Cillóniz, in 1913.
 

Days of presence

Manuela Eguren, the widow of Cillóniz and her 12 children lived the bonanza of the house. A cotton gin was built and cotton was exported to England directly from the port of Tambo de Mora in Chincha. Cattle were also bought to sell the meat.

In 1960, after the Agrarian Law was approved, during the first term of President Fernando Belaunde, the lands were divided between the children of Manuela Eguren. The land was acquired by Julio Cillóniz Eguren, one of the children of Manuela, who in turn transmitted to their 4 children: Julio, Augustus, German and Amelia Cillóniz Garfias, each one inheriting 150 hectares. In 1968 Augusto passed away and his widow, Do6na Angela Benavides de Cillóniz bought the piece of land to his brother-in-law. Doña Ángela passed away on August 28, 2020 and today the House belongs to her 11 children. In 1970, the Hacienda House was declared a World Heritage Site.