Home to the wonderful natural wonder of Iguazu Falls, and colorful cities such as Salta, the northern region of Argentina is one of the most interesting to visit in the country. Not far from Iguazu and its majestic waterfalls, the Misiones region is filled with fascinating remnants of Argentina's Jesuit history. The "Mission Circuit", a route to all the most interesting ruins of Jesuit missions, or reducciones, is a truly rewarding experience for all history lovers. It will also help you understand a lot of the country's history and the development of this northern region.
This route became a famous attraction after it was popularized by the movie "Mission", with Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons. Only ruins remain from the beautiful houses, but they are truly superb, and have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. A trip around the circuit can easily be organized from Puerto Iguazu. This is generally done in one or two days, starting from the provincial capital of the region, Posadas.
MISSIONS TRIPS
Jesuits first arrived to South America in Brazil, in 1549, with the mission to convert, evangelize, and "civilize" the "savages". They put in place a domination system that ruthlessly exploited the natives. After violent and bloody riots in the late 16th century, a royal decree in 1609 finally abolished slavery. The ruling monarchy decided that the Indians were to be as free as the Spanish, and that conquerors needed to gain their trust through conversion and religious teaching. This is when the first Jesuit reduccion was built, in San Ignacio Iguazu.
For over 150 years, missions flourished and their communities lived autonomously in relative isolation from the rest of the world. In the face of the natives' good spirit and interest in the Christian dogma, the number of missions continuously grew between 1620 and 1630, reaching 30 villages gathering over 141 000 converted Indians.
The 18th century was actually the Jesuit missions' Golden Age, specifically between 1700 and 1750. The organization in the reducciones is truly unique, with an Indian regidor designated by the Jesuits, and other Indian notables are directly elected by natives. These incredibly open laws are a specificity of the missions. However, the change of monarch in Spain, with the Bourbons succeeding to the Habsbourgs, changed history. Most of them were sold to the Portuguese who decided to evacuate the villages, putting an end to the missions system. Most reducciones were left abandoned and in ruins.
Follow the Mission Circuit in Northern Argentina MISSIONS TRIPS
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