Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil)

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Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: A Legacy of Colonial Architecture and Indigenous Culture

The Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, represent a unique blend of European architectural influence and indigenous Guarani culture. Located primarily in Argentina and Brazil, these five mission sites – San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto, Santa Maria Mayor, and the Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes – offer a glimpse into the complex history of colonial South America.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The ruins of São Miguel das Missões in Brazil, and those of San Ignacio Miní, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa María la Mayor in Argentina, lie at the heart of a tropical forest. They are the impressive remains of five Jesuit missions, built in the land of the Guaranis during the 17th and 18th centuries. Each is characterized by a specific layout and a different state of conservation.

Encyclopedia Record: Jesuit missions among the Guaraní

The Jesuit missions among the Guaraní were a type of settlement for the Guaraní people in an area straddling the borders of present-day Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. The missions were established by the Jesuit Order of the Catholic Church early in the 17th century and ended in the late 18th century after the expulsion of the Jesuit order from the Americas. The missions have been called an experiment in "socialist theocracy" or a rare example of "benign colonialism". Others have argued that "the Jesuits took away the Indians' freedom, forced them to radically change their lifestyle, physically abused them, and subjected them to disease".

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