Y STEFAN
CASA HACIENDA FAGUA
Hacienda Fagua, located in Cajicá, Cundinamarca, sits on the ancestral lands of the Muisca people, the original inhabitants of the Bogotá savannah. This territory has long been home to ancient knowledge, sacred relationships with water, the earth, the mountains, and a profound connection to the rhythms of nature.
Before the arrival of the Spanish, Cajicá—whose name in Muysccubun (the language of the Muisca) means “stone fortress”—was a key point between the lands of the zipa of Bacatá and other allied chiefdoms. The Muisca, with their complex ceremonial and agricultural systems, cultivated corn, potatoes, and quinoa and lived in harmony with the cycles of the moon and the guardian hills.
Hacienda Fagua stands on this land steeped in history—a colonial house with over 400 years of existence. The earliest records of the hacienda date back to 1585, and its name, “Fagua,” also in Muysccubun, means “star” or “guide.”
In 1942, Dr. Jorge Enrique Cavelier—my great-grandfather—purchased the hacienda to turn it into a dairy farm, founding the Alquería milk plant around it. Convinced that a bottle of milk was a bottle of health, he began the dream of nourishing Colombian homes. Today, Alquería receives over 900,000 litres of milk at its five plants from different regions of the country, which are processed and distributed as pasteurized milk throughout Colombia.
In 1986, Enrique Cavelier Gaviria—my grandfather—restored the colonial house and transformed it into a space for celebrations. Together with his cousin Beatriz Rodríguez and with the support of hundreds of collaborators who have worked with love over the years, Hacienda Fagua has become one of the best-preserved old homes on the Bogotá savannah.
My grandfather, a passionate lover of Colombian and international flowers, created the gardens that now surround the house. We share his legacy with you on our wedding day, celebrating this moment among trees, scents, and colours that speak of nature and beauty. In 1996, the Santa Margarita Chapel was built and designed by architect Mauricio Samper. It is where my grandparents lovingly kept their collection of colonial religious art.
Since then, Fagua has witnessed family lunches, Christmas novenas, baptisms, graduations, political gatherings, and, of course, weddings. It has been—and continues to be—a place of treasured encounters and memories for my family.
For us, it is a great joy to open the doors of this place full of history, roots, and love and to celebrate with you.
Enrique and Stefan