Founded by the Spanish Captain Francisco de C�ceres, in 1576, also known as ciudad de Atenas or ciudad del Esp�ritu Santo, it was the capital of the Province of La Grita (1576�1607). Later the town was a strategic point in Simon Bolivar's "Admirable Campaign" (1813). Bolivar stayed at the "Balcony House", now known as a site of great value to Venezuela's independence movement.
La Grita was affected by the 1875 C�cuta earthquake
