Last Friday
we were lucky enough to get to see some of the nearby Jesuit ruins at Trinidad.
During the weekend, they offer night tours with the ruins illuminated. Since I’m
not really a good photographer these pictures in no way capture the magnificence
of the ruins and the experience of visiting them, but they’re proof that I went
and things to spark my memories. Hopefully Caitlin and I will be able to visit
again soon in the daylight.
A little
back story on the Jesuit ruins (Keep in mind the tour was given in Spanish at
night and my Spanish brain turns off around 9 p.m. (Gracias a Dios for Google).
Trinidad, located less than 10 miles from Encarnación, was one of the last
Jesuit reduccions to be built in the Rio Paraná area in southern Paraguay and
Northern Argentina. Reduccions were communities established by the Jesuits during
the 17th and 18th century to integrate the indigenous populations with the
Catholic faith. The ruins at Trinidad are one of the two UNESCO World Heritage
sites in Paraguay. Trinidad was originally constructed in 1706 and included a
central meeting plaza, a large church meetinghouse, a school, several
workshops, a museum and housing for the local indigenous population. The Jesuits
learned Guaraní, the local language, and worked to create a community focused
on education and cooperation. Community members could speak Spanish, Guaraní and
Latin. In 1761, more than 2,600 natives lived in the community.
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| Caitlin, me, Delma & Hna. Ylse |
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| The church. |
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