{"id":2534,"date":"2011-10-28T14:28:23","date_gmt":"2011-10-28T17:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/?p=2534"},"modified":"2011-10-28T14:28:23","modified_gmt":"2011-10-28T17:28:23","slug":"ruta-misiones-jesuiticas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/jesuit-missions-route\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesuit Missions Route"},"content":{"rendered":"

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History remains that are still found in the south of Misiones Province. The architecture invites us to imagine the lives and poverty of inhabitants dwelling in a territory then divided. Our proposal is to travel along the Jesuit Missions Route of Misiones.<\/em><\/h2>\n

The Jesuit ruins are the\u00a0vestiges of a fundamental transitional time in our country<\/strong>,\u00a0during which very little was built and a lot was des\"Ruinstroyed<\/strong>; a society was wiped out to set the path for a new one.
\nNevertheless, this is the story of apeaceful colonization<\/strong>\u00a0that, despite its negative aspects as the imposition of a culture, a religion and a language, has also succeeded in appeasing the suffering of native communities by considering its members as decent people who deserved education and an occupation, not as animals with no soul, who could be enslaved, as it was believed at that time.<\/p>\n

The Origins<\/h2>\n

The settlements of native people converted to Christianity (reductions) founded by the Society of Jesus were established in\u00a0\"Mapthe 16th century with the purpose to evangelize<\/strong>. By that time, the Guarani people had reduced by half, after having suffered for 50 years not only the killing for fighting resistance but also the diseases brought by the European conquerors and abuse by the Spanish\u00a0encomenderos<\/a>1<\/sup>.<\/em>\u00a0Besides,moral and psychological violence<\/strong>\u00a0due to subjugation had reached such an extreme point that women did not want to have children. \u00a0What is more, the\u00a0tekoas<\/em>(communities in Guaran\u00ed) were destroyed by the dreadful\u00a0bandeirantes<\/em>, slave hunters from S\u00e3o Paulo (Brazil). By means of planned native work, it was possible to\u00a0build a stable economic basis\u00a0<\/strong>that caused numerous conflicts for labor force control. Its inhabitants subsisted and paid their tributes mainly through their agricultural production, and they also learned some manual skills.<\/p>\n

The Jesuits learnt how to take advantage of the myths and the native forms of organization in order to be accepted, although everything was ultimately controlled by the King\u2019s authority<\/strong>. Regarding the local government, there was aCabildo,\u00a0<\/em>or town hall, at the main square of every Jesuit reduction with its own authorities, incl\"Sketchuding the\u00a0corregidor<\/a>2<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0and mayors, who were named by the governor. Nonetheless, the\u00a0aboriginal chiefs<\/strong>(caciques) played a very important role, for they were direct intermediaries between Jesuit fathers and the native people.
\nAs regards education,\u00a0reading and writing teaching<\/strong>\u00a0was a significant democratizing step. Reductions even had the\u00a0first printing press\u00a0<\/strong>founded by fathers Juan Bautista Neuman and Jos\u00e9 Serrano, who built up a press and published the first books. The printings were done in Loreto, San Javier and Santa Mar\u00eda la Mayor.<\/p>\n

By an order of King Charles III of Spain, the Jesuits were expelled as from 1767<\/strong>. Over the time and after Paraguayan troops plunders, most of the reductions were devastated. However, it is possible to have a look at these impressive architectonic structures and the meaning felt behind their walls.<\/p>\n

The Route Landmarks<\/h2>\n

Jesuit reductions in Misiones Province are distributed along the riverside of the Uruguay River and also near to the Paran\u00e1 River: San Ignacio Min\u00ed, Loreto, Santa Ana, Corpus, Candelaria, San Jos\u00e9, Ap\u00f3stoles, Concepci\u00f3n, Santa Mar\u00eda la Mayor, M\u00e1rtires and San Javier. In the current Province of Corrientes: San Carlos, Santo Tom\u00e9, La Cruz and Yapey\u00fa. The remaining 15 reductions were in Paraguayan and Brazilian territories, thus creating a group of 30 peoples organized under a European social structure but at the same time with a Guarani worldview.
\nIn 1984, the\u00a0Ruins of San Ignacio<\/a>, Loreto, Santa Mar\u00eda and Santa Ana in the Province of Misiones, and Yapey\u00fa, Santo Tom\u00e9 and San Carlos in the Province of Corrientes have been declared World Heritage by the UNESCO.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de Loreto Reduction<\/strong>
\nThese ruins are located in the town of Loreto, 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) away from National Route No. 12 and 50 km (31 mi) away from Posadas. This reduction was created in 1632 but in 1686 it finally s\"Ruinsettled at the Paran\u00e1 riverside.
\nIts relevance then was due to its great production of yerba mate<\/a>3<\/sup>\u00a0and linen and the mounting of the first printing press at that time, which was used to publish numerous books, many of them in Guarani language.
\nFrom under the trees, some walls and foundations barely protrude in this Jesuit place that has suffered many plunders and fires, causing the migration of its inhabitants and forest advancement, so there is little testimony of this reduction at present.<\/p>\n

San Ignacio Min\u00ed Ruins<\/strong>
\nThey are located in the very center of San Ignacio town, 60 km (37.3 mi) away from Posadas, the capital city of Misiones Province, on National Route No. 12. Due to their partial reconstruction and thanks to restoration and co\"Sannservation efforts, these ruins let us go deep into the history of the missions between the 16th and 17th centuries.
\nThis settlement was founded in 1610 in Guayra, but it had to move to Paranaim\u00e1 in 1655 due to the\u00a0mamelucos<\/a>4<\/sup><\/em>\u00a0attacks and then again, in 1695, towards where the ruins are currently located. It was named San Ignacio Min\u00ed to distinguish it from San Ignacio Guaz\u00fa, which was founded before. \u201cMin\u00ed\u201d means \u201csmall\u201d or \u201cminor\u201d in Guarani, and \u201cguaz\u00fa\u201d means \u201cbig\u201d or \u201cgreater\u201d.<\/p>\n

Although the city layout keeps the characteristics of the rest of the Jesuit reductions, i.e. a central squ\"Sanare, the Jesuit father house, the school, the cemetery, the houses, the\u00a0cabildo\u00a0<\/em>(town hall), and the chapel, the church is especially outstanding.
\nIt had around 3300 inhabitants and the fact that it was close to the Paran\u00e1 River allowed for active exchange with other reductions.
\nToday, a light and sound show is displayed at the central square to tell about life in the missions from their beginnings until their expulsion in 1768.<\/p>\n

Santa Mar\u00eda La Mayor Ruins<\/strong>
\nThey are located in the San Javier-Itacaruar\u00e9 Department, 120 km (74.5\u00a0\"Ruinsmi) away from Posadas, and they can be accessed by Routes No. 105\/201\/1\/2.
\nThis reduction was founded in 1626 by father Diego de Boroa in the eastern region of the Paran\u00e1 River, although it soon moved to the western shore of the Uruguay River, again due to thebandeirantes<\/em>\u00a0persecution in the area. In 1633, it settled near Santos M\u00e1rtires del Jap\u00f3n reduction and, by the end of the 16th century, it moved to its current location, where it remained until its destruction (plundering and fire) in 1817 during the Portuguese invasions.<\/p>\n

Santa Ana Reduction<\/strong>
\nThese ruins are located in Santa Ana town, 700 m. (2,300 ft) away from National Route No. 12 and 40 km (25 mi) away from the city of Posadas.
\nThe first reduction was founded in 1633 in the current Rio Grande\u00a0\"Ruinsterritory (Brazil) but also, due to the\u00a0bandeirantes<\/em>, two thousand Guaran\u00eds temporarily migrated to the High Paran\u00e1 area, settling down definitely in its current location in 1660. In spite of the advancing forest, we can see the central square, the Church, houses, workshops and the cemetery, which was later used by the first inhabitants of Santa Ana. Besides, we can observe productive structure of this reduction, the watering system, city lots, vegetable gardens and staggered irrigation system. The special feature is the sequence of squares and plazas contrasting the urban model of the other reductions.<\/p>\n

Precisely, a shared architectural feature is that construction used to be unstable and simple using adobe, rammed earth and straw in the f\"Santaoundation and layout stage.\u00a0By the end of the 17th century<\/strong>, after the defeat of the\u00a0bandeirantes<\/em>\u00a0in the battle of MBOROR\u00c9 in 1641, every city definitely settled and got\u00a0organized based on an urban project\u00a0<\/strong>where buildings were made of stone and local wood, and this is basically what can be seen today in these ruins.<\/p>\n

In general, the region has a good infrastructure for tourism and facilities for outdoor activities.\u00a0In all cases, there are museums that preserve numerous testimonies that have been collected from excavations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Footsteps for Thought<\/h2>\n

Jesuit missions have disappeared; they were wiped out by an order issued by someone higher in rank. Was it fair? Was it absurd? It can be discussed. But there is no doubt that those living ruins, which are fighting to survive the advancing forest, are an invitation to think over. Jesuit missioners wanted to evangelize the Guaran\u00ed, and they did it in a very particular way. They chose to rescue their habits and beliefs and give them a new meaning. This is the reason why today we can read in those ruins, as in a palimpsest, the major features of the Guaran\u00ed culture.<\/p>\n

And we can go further and even have the audacity to think that the\u00a0merging, the mixture or the \u201ccontamination\u201d resulted into a powerful force that has survived the passage of time.<\/strong>\u00a0 This gives us something to think about in these times of so much rejection to immigration, of so much fear to alleged invasions\u2026<\/p>\n

This is definitely a necessary visit when there is a chance to meet the Argentine Northeast – Mesopotamia region.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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<\/a>1<\/sup>The\u00a0encomienda\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>system was a trusteeship labor system employed by the Spanish crown during the Spanish colonization of the Americas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/a>2<\/sup>\u00a0They were representatives of the Spanish royal power and had a similar role as the town councilors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/a>3<\/sup>\u00a0It is a shrub or small tree growing in subtropical South America mostly used as a herbal infusion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/a>4<\/sup>\u00a0A group of aboriginal warriors fighting under the Portuguese or Brazilian bandeirantes command.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

History remains that are still found in the south of Misiones Province. The architecture invites us to imagine the lives and poverty of inhabitants dwelling in a territory then divided. Our proposal is to travel along the Jesuit Missions Route of Misiones. The Jesuit ruins are the\u00a0vestiges of a fundamental transitional time in our country,\u00a0during… Read on<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-iguazu"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2534"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2535,"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2534\/revisions\/2535"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patagonia-argentina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}