There were 30 Jesuit compounds back in the day, in the Missions Districts of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. The one we saw was one of the largest, it held 5000 people once upon a time. The compounds were built to protect the natives from the Portugese slave traders who would come in and kidnap the natives and take them to Europe as slaves. Or perhaps they were built to evangelize the natives. Or perhaps the Jesuit priests enslaved the natives (an unlikely theory since there were only 2 priests and 4998 natives). These are the theories.The ruins are beautiful, but not as well taken care of as one would hope. The times I have been there, the guides have been knowledgable and friendly. We payed Gs 5000 a person to get in (approximately $1.00) and gave the guide a tip of less than $10.00 for over an hour of tour.
Link to Brenda's blog of Paraguay (here)
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