Franciscan History & Artisan Tour

Locations: Itá, Yaguarón, Caacupe, Itaguá, Areguá

This full day tour through the countryside around Asuncion will provide insight into the history and influence of the Franciscan church, as well as enjoy the craftsmanship and beautiful landscapes of the region.

In addition to two the most important churches and religious sites in the country, this day tour will take you to places you won’t find in any guidebook - to the homes and workshops of local artisans who have maintained folk art traditions passed down to them by their mothers and grandmothers.

Itá
Itá means "stone" in Guarani and is known for its tradition of ceramic art. 

• The San Blas culture center displays a variety of hand-crafted ceramics from a variety of artists.
• Visit the home workshop and museum of a renown artisan who has developed a new style of attractive ceramics that has become extremely popular in recent years; she has won numerous national and international awards and commissions for her work.

Yaguarón
Yaguarón was officially founded in 1585 as a Franciscan Mission.  Fray Alonso de San Buenaventura and his followers built the Iglesia de San Buenaventura church, one of the most beautiful and valuable examples of Franciscan construction and art in Paraguay.  The Hispanic-Guaraní style of the carvings and the intricate paintings on the ceiling and carvings using natural dyes and gold laminate made by hand by the natives are highlights of this well-maintained church and artistic monument.

Caacupe
Caacupe is a center of worship for a large number of Paraguayan devotees. This city is well known for its important religious festival which is held on the eighth of December every year honoring the statue of Our Lady of the Miracles; each year more than 300,000 faithful gather here for the festival. 

• Walk up the stairs of the Cathedral to see the history of the statue, which was carved in the sixteenth century and withstood a huge flood, depicted in a series of murals along the tower corridors.
• From the rooftop viewing platform, observe the beautiful landscape that surrounds the Basilica.

Itaguá
Itaguá is called “City of the Ñandutí”. 

• Visit shops in Itaguá that offer an incredible display of the variety of colors, sizes, designs and uses for ñanduti, including table and wall decorations, apparel, hats, earrings and more.
• Visit the home of an artisan who hand-weaves ñanduti and will provide a demonstration of the technique and skill required to create this popular craft.

Areguá
Areguá, known for its manufactured pottery crafts, street market, and galleries, was once a town where wealthy families from Asunción had their summer homes near Lake Ypacarai. The town has preserved the charming old train station, historical colonial houses, wide boulevards and cobblestone roads.

• Impressive view of Lake Ypacarai from the Franciscan Church
• El Cantaro school, a unique dome-oven shaped classroom made of recycled materials that offers free community art workshops
• El Cantaro Art Store features carefully selected hand-crafted contemporary, indigenous and popular art from throughout Paraguay, proceeds from the shop benefit El Cantaro community school.
• The craft market features a street lines with thousands of figurines, home and garden decorations; while most of the items are not to the tastes of foreigners, the craft market offers an impressive display of colors
• The Centro Cultural del Lago gallery features high quality hand-crafted artwork which have been personally selected by the owner Ysanne Gayet, a well-known and respected artist and intellectual.
• The historical train station is a relic from times past when the train brought people from Asuncion to enjoy the shores of Lake Ypacarai
• The park on the shores of Lake Ypacarai is a gathering place for visitors and locals to enjoy the view and relax in the shade.