House of Santander, Birth house museum in Villa del Rosario, Colombia

The Casa Natal del General Santander, known as the Casa del Altillo, is the birthplace of Francisco de Paula Santander in Villa del Rosario, on the international highway to Venezuela. The house was destroyed by the 1875 earthquake and rebuilt on the same site with the same structure, except for the corner attic, which was added in 1971 to match the original described by Manuel Ancízar. It now holds a museum with Santander's uniform and swords.

Francisco de Paula Santander was born in this house in 1792 and grew up here while Colombia was still under Spanish rule. He later became one of the leading military commanders in the independence war and the first president of New Granada.

Locals call it the Casa del Altillo, after the corner attic rebuilt in 1971 following Manuel Ancízar's 1851 description in Peregrinación de Alpha. The museum keeps Santander's uniform and swords, and the house is also the 1858 birthplace of engineer Manuel Antonio Rueda Jara. It is run by the Fundación Quinta con Quinta.

The house stands on the Autopista Internacional Vía San Antonio, about 6 km from the centre of Villa del Rosario and 200 m north of the old town's main square. It forms part of the Parque de la Gran Colombia, so the church of Cúcuta and the Casa de la Bagatela can be visited in the same walk. The Fundación Quinta con Quinta manages the complex.

The church at the edge of the park is where the Colombian Constitution of 1821 was signed, making this area one of the most important settings of national history. Many visitors who come only for the birth house miss this detail entirely.