Jesuit Ruins

Monday 4 February 2008

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site to add to the list! These are the ruins of a Jesuit mission in Trinidad, Paraguay. Nearly 400 years ago the Jesuits came and established what has been called a utopian society, where the monks adopted the language and customs of the local Guaraní Indians while bringing them advances in technology, agriculture, and of course, religion. These "reduciones" offered a refuge from harsh Spanish colonial rule, and are often considered some of the most successful and humanitarian missionary work in the history of the Catholic church. In the late 1700's, however, the Jesuits were forced by the Spanish government to abandon their reduciones. The territory was being divided: Portugal got that part of Paraguay, while Spain took Uruguay.

It was a really neat place to visit. Tranquil and sunny.