San Carlos - Jesuits reduction

This reduction is located on the border with the province of Misiones, 9 km. away from the city of San Carlos down a dirt road. One can get to this city from Corrientes down national route No.12, then switch to provincial route No.38 and finally to national route No.14. The Jesuitical Reduction of San Carlos was founded in 1631 in Guayrá, Brazil, and then moved to the source of the Aguapey River in 1638 where it remained until the Jesuits were expelled in 1768. San Carlos was a flourishing town of the same size as San Ignacio in Misiones. The whole town was built on the ruins of the old reduction which explains why the backyards of many of the houses harbor the remains of walls and the bases of columns. The Jesuilical Museum preserves important pieces that were recovered during the excavation works.

The Jesuits arrived in America in the 16th century and set out to preach the gospel to the natives. They founded towns based on an organization that still amazes the world. The Jesuitical Retductions introduced the Guaraní Indian to the practice of Christianity in a vast territory comprising the south of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and the Argentine litoral. The use of duly planned Indian labor enabled the creation of a firm economic base that gave rise to many conflicts over the possession of the native workers. This experience came to an end with the expulsion of the Jesuits from the country in 1768. The thirty towns they had created became disconnected with the organization of the different nation-states. Most of these towns were destroyed, but in our country one can still appreciate their magnificence in the ruins of the Reductions of San Ignacio, Loreto, Santa María and Santa Ana in the Province of Misiones and Yapeyú, Santo Tomé and San Carlos in the province of Corrientes. They were declared part of the World´s Historical Heritage by the UNESCO. In every case there are museums that harbor many remnants of these reductions that were gathered during the excavation work carried out in the area.