Travel Guide Itauguá

Itauguá is famous for its handcrafted production of ñandutí, a lace as delicate and perfect as the spider's web, which gave it its Guarani name. Originally from Tenerife in the Canary Islands, embroidery made with a needle on a canvas stretched in a wooden frame arrived in Paraguay at the end of the 17th century. The women quickly appropriated this craft and enriched it with motifs taken from nature: arasa poty (guava flower), mburukuja poty (passion flower), mbokaja poty (coconut flower), arasape (starry sky), panambi (butterfly), ñandu guazú (ostrich)... Originally all white, the ñandutis today have an infinity of colours and patterns, laid on wedding dresses, bags, tablecloths, and even heeled shoes. Fashion shows are held during the famous Festival Nacional del Ñandutí (facebook.com/festivaldelnanduti), which has been held every year since 1970, in March. It is one of the most popular festivals in the country, with exhibitions, fashion shows, concerts, traditional dances, and the traditional asado a la estaca (meat cooked on a stake). As for the other festivities, "Los Viernes culturales" offer demonstrations of traditional dances and concerts every Friday night in February in the church square. The founding of the city, celebrated around 27 June, also attracts many people, as do the festivities dedicated to the Virgen del Rosario, the patron saint of Itauguá (as well as of Luque and other Paraguayan cities), on the first weekend in October.