Jesús and Trinidad Jesuit Ruins
Encyclopedia
Itapúa Department
Itapúa is a department in the southern region of Paraguay. The capital is the city of Encarnación. It is divided into 30 districts, making it the department with the most districts in the country.-History:...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, and are religious mission that are sill preserved and that were founded by the Jesuit missioners during the colonization of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in the 17th century.
These religious missions were created in 1609 and developed for 150 years. Both Jesuit missions were declared Historical Patrimony of Humankind by the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 1993.
The Jesuit Missions
Jesuit Reductions
A Jesuit Reduction was a type of settlement for indigenous people in Latin America created by the Jesuit Order during the 17th and 18th centuries. In general, the strategy of the Spanish Empire was to gather native populations into centers called Indian Reductions , in order to Christianize, tax,...
of Paraguay are considered some of the most impressive creations of the religious work of the Jesuit, and are testimony of the historical richness of the country.
History
Alejo García
Aleixo Garcia, also Alejo García was a Portuguese-born explorer and conquistador who explored the Rio de la Plata in service to Spain, and later the Paraguay and Bolivia....
discovered Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
in 1524. Its development in political, economical and social matter was a slow process, scarred by armed conflicts between Spanish conquerors and natives, who fought to preserve their territory.
Until 1590 the Spanish have founded 10 cities and 40 colonies in South America. The natives were forced to be at their service (Encomienda system).
The Spanish King tried to improve their quality of life by making some decrees for their protection but it was difficult to have a real system of control to make sure they were obeyed. The system of "Encomienda" gave place to many insurrections of the natives.
It was not until the Missions were established that there was a real improvement in the living conditions of the natives.
The first Jesuits arrived in Tucumán in 1586 and in 1587, by request of the Asunción’s Bishop, Alonso Guerra that they arrived to Paraguay too.
The Jesuits started the evangelization and building of towns or Missions in the region of Misiones
Misiones Department
Misiones is a department located in the southern region of Paraguay. Its capital is San Juan Bautista. The eighth of Paraguay's 17 departments, it was created in 1906, then known as the San Ignacio Department, and was not given its present name until 1945...
and Itapúa
Itapúa Department
Itapúa is a department in the southern region of Paraguay. The capital is the city of Encarnación. It is divided into 30 districts, making it the department with the most districts in the country.-History:...
Departments in Paraguay.
The first thing they did was to form towns that were self-sufficient in the areas inhabited by the natives and a study of the Guaraní language
Guaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
they spoke to make a writing structure (because the Guaraní people did not write their language). The missioners not only imparted knowledge about religion, but also determined the rules of public order, culture, education and society, fact that had great influence in the later development of Paraguay. The natives, who were nomads and were not used to a structured life, founded themselves gathered in small communities in the forest. Near the Jesuit Missions were formed groups of 2000 or 3000 per town.
This group of missioners founded about 30 Missions in territories that nowadays belong to Paraguay, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. Many of the constructions have been preserved and the ones that got damage, rebuilt.
Jesús de Tavarangue Ruins
It would have been a replica of the Church of Loyola, in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The doors of access, three located in the front, are very impressive.
The UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
declared it Cultural Patrimony of Humankind in 1993. It is considered one of the most important edifications of the 30 Jesuits towns in the region.
The stone pulpit, the friezes of angels, the rose shaped carved stone in the lintels in the doors and the bell tower outstand in its architecture.
The ruins of these missions show a way of life and education marked by its own and singular style.
Santísima Trinidad del Paraná Ruins
The Santísima Trinidad del Paraná Mission is considered the biggest of all the missions. Natives that came from the missions of San Carlos (nowadays in territory of Argentina) were its founders in 1712.This mission has the biggest built temple among all the Jesuit Missions, with an altar carved in a once piece stone. In it, is represented the persecution of the natives at that time.
It has a Central Square, the town’s place of meeting and a museum, located in the old sacristy, are the sculptures and a scale model of the mission.
These ruins are being restored and maintained constantly.
It is a Cultural Patrimony of Humankind.
How to get to the Ruins
San Cosme y Damián
San Cosme y Damián is a town in the Itapúa department of Paraguay.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, Damián
San Cosme y Damián
San Cosme y Damián is a town in the Itapúa department of Paraguay.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
and Trinidad
La Santisima Trinidad de Paraná
La Santisima Trinidad de Paraná, or the Holy Trinity of Paraná is the name of a former Jesuit mission in Paraguay. It is an example of one of the many Jesuit Reductions, small colonies established by the missionaries in various locations in South America throughout the 17th and 18th century...
Missions.
To get to these places it is necessary to take Route No. 6 from Encarnación
Encarnación, Paraguay
Encarnación is the capital city of the Paraguayan department of Itapúa, located at the south of the department, on the right-hand shore of the Paraná River, opposite Posadas, Argentina...
. The entries to all the missions are signaled on the route.
The access to the ruins of Trinidad is located 700 meters from Route No. 6 in “km 31”, about 2 kilometers after, is the access to the ruins of Jesús de Tavarangue.