MUSEO DEL BARRO - CENTRO DE ARTES VISUALES

If you have to visit only one museum in Paraguay, this is it! This beautiful space was created in 1979 by several artists, principally Carlos Colombino (1937-2013), a renowned visual artist, architect and writer. The permanent and temporary collections express the different visual expressions of Paraguay and Iberian America. The works are rich and varied, and the installations pleasant. The first collection, that of the Museo del Barro (Clay Museum), is devoted to Paraguayan folk art from the ^17th century onwards. It includes over 4,000 pieces, from ceramics to wooden sculptures from the Jesuit and Franciscan reductions, fabrics, lace (the famous ñandutí) and goldsmith's and silversmith's work. It also features pre-Columbian ceramics from all over the continent.

The Museo de Arte Indígena (Museum of Indigenous Art) collection showcases the artistic wealth of Paraguay's various indigenous groups. Over 1,750 pieces, including ceramics, sculptures, ceremonial dress, masks, baskets and more.

Finally, the collection of the Museo Paraguayo de Arte Contemporáneo (Museum of Contemporary Art) includes over 3,000 paintings, drawings, engravings, installations and sculptures by national artists, as well as those from other Latin American countries and Spain. At the entrance, you'll find a store selling quality handicrafts and a bookshop stocking fine art books.