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Simón Bolívar on Colombian peso, photo by johan10 /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios
Date of Birth: 24 July, 1783
Place of Birth: Caracas, Captaincy General of Venezuela, Spanish Empire (now Venezuela)
Date of Death: 17 December, 1830
Place of Death: Santa Marta, Gran Colombia (now Colombia)
Ethnicity: Spanish [Andalusian, Canary Islander, Cantabrian, Castilian, Catalan, Extremaduran, Galician, Leónese, Valencian], Basque, as well as distant French, German, Indigenous Venezuelan [Caquetio], Italian, Portuguese, Guanche, and Berber
Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader who played a leading role in the establishment of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama as sovereign states, independent of Spanish rule. He was President of the Second Republic of Venezuela, from 7 August, 1813 to 16 July, 1814, President of the Third Republic of Venezuela, from October, 1817 to 24 February, 1819, the 1st President of Gran Colombia, from 24 February, 1819 to 4 May, 1830, President of Peru , from 17 February, 1824 to 28 January, 1827, and the 1st President of Bolivia , from 12 August, 1825 to 29 December, 1825.
Simón was the son of María de la Concepción Palacios y Blanco and Juan Vicente de Bolívar y Ponte Andrade. His father came from the female line of the Ardanza family. He was a descendant of Conquistador and Captain of Trujillo, Francisco de Graterol/Francesco Graterolo, who was from Venice, and of Cristóbal de Ponte/da Ponte, who was Genovese; and who had founded Garachico and married a Guanche woman.
Simón was married to María Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alaiza, until her death.
Simón’s patrilineal ancestry can be traced back to his 10th great-grandfather, Sancho García de Ardanza, of Plasencia, Cáceres, Spain.
Simón’s paternal grandfather was Juan Vicente Bolívar y Martínez de Villegas (the son of Luis de Bolívar y Rebolledo and Ana María Martínez de Villegas y Ladrón de Guevara). Juan was born in Caracas, Libertador, Capital District, Venezuela. Luis was the son of Antonio de Bolivar y Díaz de Rojas and Leonor Rebolledo Maldonado de Almendariz. Ana was the daughter of Lorenzo Martínez y Maldonado de Villegas and Magdalena Ladrón de Guevara y Rojas.
Simón’s paternal grandmother was María Petronila de Ponte Andrade y Marin de Narváez (the daughter of Pedro de Ponte Andrade Jaspe y Montenegro and María Josefa Marín de Narváez). Simon’s grandmother María was born in Caracas, Venezuela. Pedro was born in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain, the son of Jacinto de Ponte y Andrade and María Josefa Jaspe de Montenegro. Josefa was the daughter of Spanish mine owner, Francisco Marín de Narváez, of Gójar, Granada, and of María Martínez de Porras y Cerrada.
Simón’s maternal grandfather was Feliciano Palacios de Aguirre y Ariztía-Sojo y Gil de Arratia (the son of Juan Feliciano de Palacios Sojo y Gedler and Isabel María Rosalia Gil de Arratia y Aguirre Villela). Simón’s grandfather Feliciano was born in Burgos, Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain. Simón’s great-grandfather Feliciano was the son of José Palacios Sojo Ortiz de Zárate and Isabel María Gedler y Rivilla. Isabel was the daughter of Spanish captain, Francisco Gil de Arratia, of San Asensio, La Rioja, and of María Rosa Aguirre y Laya Mójica.
Simón’s maternal grandmother was Francisca Blanco Infante de Herrera (the daughter of Mateo José María de Blanco y Fernández de Araujo and Clara Ana Inés de Herrera y Liendo). Francisca was born in Caracas, Libertador, Capital District, Venezuela. Mateo was the son of Mateo Blanco Infante y Ponte and Josefa Fernández de Araujo y Rivilla. Clara was the daughter of Juan Ascencio de Herrera y Ascanio and Paula Rosa de Liendo y Ochoa.
Simón’s matrilineal ancestry can be traced back to his fifth great-grandmother, Úrsula de Marquina.
Sources: https://www.laprovincia.es
Genealogy of Simón Bolívar – https://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Simón Bolívar (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com