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Ruins of Jesuit Mission of San
Ignacio
Approximately
30 miles or 50 kilometers from Posadas, towards Puerto
Iguazu, San Ignacio Miní
was one of
the most prosperous Jesuit missions, partly restored by the Argentine
Government.
San Ignacio Mini was founded in 1610 in the
Guaira area, currently state
border between Parana and São Paulo, Brazil. The fathers José Cataldino
and Simón Masseta built this mission and the mission of Loreto near the
Paranapanema river.
In 1631 after the attack of the bandeirantes, father Antonio Ruiz de
Montoya starts an exodus to save the survivors. With approximately 12.000
Indians he sails down the Paraná river. After a hard trip, about 4000
surviving Indians reach the banks of the Yabebirí river, tributary of the
Paraná, now province of Misiones, Argentina. Due to the inadequate
conditions of the place, they look for a third place to establish
(1695/1696), what are currently the ruins of San Ignacio Miní. In 1816,
with the Jesuits already expelled, general José de Artigas organized his
armies and makes Andrés Guacurari, a Guarani Indian known as Andresito as
one of the commanders. As five of the Paraná reductions has been occupied
by the Paraguayan armies of Dr Francia, Andresito and his Guarani armies
take it over. Dr Francia then restarted the attack and totally destroyed
the missions.
Wanda precious stones mine
Bed of
Semi-Precious
Stones: Hundred years
ago, in this region, the lava out cropped through the fissures of the
earth. Those running of incandescent materials appeared with such a
pressure that they made bubbles. A quick cooling created the crystals in
their innards, all of them in pyramidal hexagonal shapes made of amethyst
quartz and agates which are used in jewelry business.
"Wanda" has a mine in the open air from where geodes and solidified
bubbles are taken out. Thirty people work there and half of them are mine
operators. Some objects with incrustations of these stones, necklaces,
pendants and earrings are sold there.
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