MISIÓN JESUÍTICA DE SANTÍSIMA TRINIDAD DEL PARANÁ

It is one of the most visited sites in the country. The ruins of Santísima Trinidad del Paraná were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1993, along with the nearby ruins of Jesús de Tavarangué. They are the only two Paraguayan sites on this prestigious list. The Trinidad reduction is considered the most complete and best-preserved architectural ensemble of all the reductions of the Treinta Pueblos of the Río de la Plata basin (straddling the present-day states of Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay), established by the Society of Jesus during the ^17th and ^18th centuries. However, it is rarely visited, and it's still common to find yourself alone among the ruins during the week!

The mission of Santísima Trinidad del Paraná was founded in 1706 in eastern Uruguay, then moved to escape attacks by Brazilian bandeirantes, kidnappers of Indians destined to become slaves. The mission moved to its present site six years later, in 1712, under the direction of priest Juan de Anaya. The ruins clearly show the unique urban structure of the Jesuit reductions, found in all the missions in the region. A plan at the entrance shows the spatial organization of Trinidad: the vast central square(Plaza Mayor), measuring 200 m by 130 m, was the site of religious processions, cultural activities (theater, music) and group weddings (once a year, the priests married some 30 couples at the same time). The central square is flanked on three sides by well-preserved casas de indios. These houses consisted of rooms measuring 5 meters on each side, separated by thick walls. Each room housed an Indian family. On the fourth side of the Plaza Mayor is the main church(Iglesia Mayor), the work of Italian architect Giovanni Battista Primoli (who designed the layout of the mission in general).

Adjacent to the church are the cloister and adjacent courtyards, for the college and workshops, and on the other side, the cemetery and orchard. There is also an older church(Iglesia Primitiva) and a bell tower(Torre del campanario or Torre Atalaya). On a clear day, you can see the ruins of Jesús, some ten kilometers to the north-west, from the top of this watchtower. The two missions used to communicate with each other using mirrors and smoke signals (from 1759, when the Jesús de Tavarangué reduction was installed).

Next door is another cemetery, where until recently the inhabitants of Trinidad were buried. The main church, built between 1740 and 1763, is richly decorated in Baroque style. Of particular note is a frieze carved into the stone, depicting a procession of dozens of little angel musicians, playing the harp, violin, trumpet, bassoon and maracas, a native instrument. This is one of the few testimonies to the presence of music in the Jesuit missions. There is also a large stone music stand and several sculptures with interesting morphological details. The crypt was the tomb of Jesuit priests, when their bodies were not repatriated to Europe. The Guaraní caciques, on the other hand, were buried under the church floor, in the fetal position. In one of the two sacristies, a small museum displays beautiful pieces of carved stone and engravings, some of which have retained their original colors. In the nave, the statues of the twelve apostles appear headless. They were decapitated by looters who thought they'd found the hidden gold of the Jesuits! However, in a niche on the outside, a statue of St. Paul armed with his sword has been found intact.

After the expulsion of the Society of Jesus by King Carlos III in 1767, the mission of Trinidad was entrusted to the Franciscan friars. The mission declined rapidly. The Guaranis gradually abandoned the mission, which only lasted some 30 years after the departure of the Jesuits, before being overgrown for two centuries. Excavation and restoration work only began in the 1970s and intensified in the 1980s.

Today, the ruins are open to the public every day of the year. It is advisable to take a Senatur guide (free of charge) to enjoy the visit even more. Recently, guides from the neighboring Guaraní community have been trained. The site is accessible to people with reduced mobility, and display panels are in Braille. Guided tours can even be conducted in sign language.

A 30-minute Luz y Sonido ("sound and light") guided tour takes place from Wednesday to Sunday at 7pm (winter) or 9pm (summer). The ruins light up as you go along, accompanied by the sounds of nature, life in the mission and music. This nocturnal tour is quite magical, and can be combined (if you have a car or cab) with the "3D Video Mapping" of the Jesús ruins, which starts at 6pm (winter) or 8pm (summer), and lasts 20 minutes. Please note that the days and times of the son et lumière and mapping events change regularly, so be sure to ask when you visit.