If they build it, we will come
San Ignacio was just a short stop, not even half a day, on our way to the main and last attraction in Argentina - Iguazu Falls. The Jesuit and Guarani cultures are an important part of this country's heritage and this is where we chose to have our history lesson.
Have the will to learn, and the teacher will present herself. As soon as we got off the bus, a nice woman of a very small stature sensed that we needed help and pointed us towards the ruins. Turned out she was also going that way and, moreover, she was a guide in the ruins. We walked together, and since Marisa's (the guide's) shift was not starting for another hour, sat in a restaurant with her to have lunch and later got a private tour in English. Lucky us.
A Bit of History:
In the colonial times Jesuit missionaries were the major power players in this area. They have built huge missions or as they were called reductions throughout the region, each of which housed only a couple of missionaries and thousands of native Guarani. Under the direction of the Jesuits, Guarani built communal housing and huge finely decorated stone churches in the style that is now known as Guarani Baroque. In addition to teaching the natives the word of God, Jesuits organized and armed them so they could protect themselves from the slavers. This was going right against the colonial interests in addition to the fact that Jesuit amassed a lot of wealth and power from the products produced in their mission, so the royal crown eventually kicked them out of South America and only the ruins remain as the monument to their power.
Have the will to learn, and the teacher will present herself. As soon as we got off the bus, a nice woman of a very small stature sensed that we needed help and pointed us towards the ruins. Turned out she was also going that way and, moreover, she was a guide in the ruins. We walked together, and since Marisa's (the guide's) shift was not starting for another hour, sat in a restaurant with her to have lunch and later got a private tour in English. Lucky us.
A Bit of History:
In the colonial times Jesuit missionaries were the major power players in this area. They have built huge missions or as they were called reductions throughout the region, each of which housed only a couple of missionaries and thousands of native Guarani. Under the direction of the Jesuits, Guarani built communal housing and huge finely decorated stone churches in the style that is now known as Guarani Baroque. In addition to teaching the natives the word of God, Jesuits organized and armed them so they could protect themselves from the slavers. This was going right against the colonial interests in addition to the fact that Jesuit amassed a lot of wealth and power from the products produced in their mission, so the royal crown eventually kicked them out of South America and only the ruins remain as the monument to their power.