In the middle of the steamy Paraguayan jungle is the small city of Yaguaron, home to one of the country’s best-preserved Franciscan mission churches. These missions in Paraguay were unique because the priests allowed the local Guarani people to continue many of their ancestral practices. Therefore, in Yaguaron, you can see the presence of both Guarani and Christian traditions. Yaguaron is close enough to Asuncion to make an excellent day trip from the capital.
Franciscan Missions
Not long after the Spanish arrived, Franciscan missionaries came to Paraguay to convert the Guarani population to Christianity. Although they were in Paraguay much earlier than the Jesuits, they didn’t establish as many mission villages; therefore, there were only a handful in Paraguay. San Buenaventura Church in Yaguaron is one of the only original mission churches still standing from either the Franciscan or Jesuit villages.
The indigenous Guarani people have lived on the land around Yaguaron for many generations. They were semi-nomadic, stopping to farm for a while, but frequently moved on to new locations. Both the Franciscan and Jesuit missions were called reductions because they ended the Guarani’s nomadic lifestyle, making them live in permanent settlements and thus reducing their territory. Although this was done as a form of control, in general, the Guarani people were treated more fairly than other indigenous populations. For example, they were not only community members but were also involved in their villages’ leadership, where they actively participated in decision-making. Another unique component was that they were not only allowed, but encouraged to retain many of their ancestral beliefs and customs.
In addition to preaching the Bible, the missionaries taught the indigenous people to read and write. As well, the Guarani learned skills such as woodcarving, building and cultivation. Ultimately, history states that the Guaranis befriended the Franciscans.
San Buenaventura Church
In the late1500s, friars Luis Bolaños and Alonso de San Buenaventura came to Yaguaron to convert the local indigenous population. By 1772, the Franciscans erected the large wooden mission church, San Buenaventura Church (Templo de San Buenaventura de Yaguarón), named for one of those first priests.
As soon as we saw the large pitched-roof building with whitewashed walls, we were reminded of the mission churches we visited in Bolivia. As well as the shape of the roof, the one on San Buenaventura Church is also overhanging and has colonnades around its base. This style was common in the jungle and was built to protect the building’s walls from the elements in this hot, humid climate.
You can see some of the Bolivian mission churches in our post Jesuit Missions of Chiquitania.
Beside it is a free-standing, wooden bell tower, but it is a mere skeleton of its former self. Its old bell hangs from a newer stand nearby.
The simplicity of the external design tells you its size, but only the doors and windows hint at the decadent decorations you will find inside.
We stepped inside the Franciscan mission church and stood in awe of what we saw. The long, single room has tall wooden pillars, decorated with pastel colours. Above the pillars, the ceiling is painted with depictions of local floral details such as passion flowers, ferns and palms. Local Guarani residents added most of these decorations, and the paint colours came from local plants and minerals.
At the front, the elaborately carved wooden altar has been painted gold. The altar is made from peteribí wood, an endemic South American semi-hardwood. It was crafted by Portuguese artist de Souza in the Portuguese Baroque style. With so many fine details, it’s easy to forget that this altar was created in a remote Paraguayan jungle rather than in an established woodworking centre.
One of its side altars was so exquisite that it was moved to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Asuncion in the 1800s. The architect designed and decorated many South American mission churches in the 18th century.
While working in Yaguaron, de Souza taught the Guaranis the crafts of sculpting and carving. They used these new skills to create the other wonderful decorations in the church.
Another beautiful piece in the church is the carved wooden pulpit. From the halo on top to the statue on the base, it is overflowing with stunning details.
When the church was handed over to the community, the locals were such strong believers in Christianity that they continued to use the church and spread Christianity among their own people.
The woodwork in San Buenaventura Church is an excellent example of the craftsmanship of the time and is one of the best-preserved Franciscan mission churches in Paraguay. For these reasons, it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
You can also visit Jesuit Missions in southern Paraguay. For more information read out post Jesuit Missions in Paraguay.
After spending time in the mission church, there are a few more things to see in Yaguaron.
Easter Procession Stations
As you walk through the town centre, you’ll pass the 14 Stations of the Cross, an important part of Easter celebrations in the Catholic Church. The first station is on the church grounds, and the rest follow a route to Cerro Yaguarón. (Yaguaron Hill). This made us think that Holy Week (Semana Santa) would be a great time to visit Yaguaron.
Paseo Cultural
On one side of the church are several statues of local artists, writers, poets and musicians. These statues add a nice touch to the humble town.
We visited a few weeks before Christmas, and at one end of Paseo Cultural we found a manger scene. If you look closely, you can see chipa in the basket. It is a local bread made from manioc and is often shaped like a bagel, as we see in the nativity scene.
Paseo de los Mitos and Paseo de Flores
The name Yaguarón comes from a mythical dog in Guarani legends. It was called Jaguaru or Ñaguaru. The dog is considered to be the ancestral protector of the city. In addition to the name, there are a few reminders of their Guarani ancestry on Paseo de los Mitos (Walk of Myths). The colourful street displays wonderful street art on many of the walls and fences. The art allows you to learn a little about Guarani mythology because many include characters from indigenous legends, which led to its name.
One of the streets that crosses it is called Paseo de Flores (Flower Walk). It is only one block long, but as its name suggests, it is bordered by beautiful flowering trees.
Heroes’ Square
The large Heroes’ Square (Plaza de los Héroes de Yaguarón) is found in the middle of town. At its centre is a monument to soldiers who lost their lives in the country’s two main wars: the War of the Triple Alliance and Guerra del Chaco, where they fought against Bolivia.
Dr. Francia Musuem
José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, also known as Dr. Francia, was the first president of Paraguay. He was born in Yaguaron, and his former family home is now a sparsely decorated museum. Dr. Francia was a dictator and even with this history, he is still cherished in this town.
Colonial Guarani-Spanish Homes
The streets in Yaguaron offer a glimpse of the traditional Guarani-Spanish homes. They typically include adobe whitewashed walls, gabled roofs that hang over covered porches and are held up by columns. We saw these homes throughout Paraguay.
Yaguaron Hill
Paseo de los Mitos leads to Yaguaron Hill (Cerro Yaguarón) on the edge of town. There is a hiking trail to reach its summit, which might be a nice walk if you visit in the autumn or winter. We found the humidity too high when we were there and were not enticed to go for a hike.
When to Visit
The mildest climate in Yaguaron is between May and September, making it the most comfortable time to visit. During the South American summer, between December and February, Yaguaron is very hot with extremely high humidity. In early December, temperatures were in the mid 30s°C (90s°F), but the humidity was 85-90%, making it almost unbearable. The rainiest months are November and April, but it rains every month.
How to get to Yaragon
Yaragon is located in the centre of the map below, not far from Asuncion. It is an interactive map so you can zoom-in, or click on a marker for a link to our post from that region.
The 55 km (34 mi) journey takes 2 hours by bus, or 1 hour by car. Buses destined for Paraguari will stop in Yaguaron and depart from Asuncion Bus Terminal (Terminal de Ómnibus de Asunción). We read that buses leave on the hour, every hour, but ours left at 10:30, so we’re not sure the exact schedule. To return to Asuncion, you can find several marked bus stops on the main road. Buses will have a sign on the front for their destination. Wave one down that says Asuncion.
These buses are not air-conditioned, and as our bus crept its way through Asuncion, we got hotter and stickier. The open windows provided a breeze, but we didn’t move quickly enough through the city traffic to allow much air in. Eventually, we made it out of the city, and with the increased speed, we welcomed the breeze.
Even in the heat, though, these buses are a way to experience typical life in Paraguay. Vendors hop on and off the moving bus, selling cold drinks, chipa (local buns) and snacks. One man was loaded with an odd assortment of things, including scissors, toothbrushes and charging cords. It is always an adventure riding these local buses.
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Coming Next – What To See In Concepcion
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