Church of San Buenaventura, Yaguarón
Templo de San Buenaventura de Yaguarón
An 18th-century Franciscan mission church. Its plain exterior hides a fully painted and gilded Baroque wooden altar, one of Paraguay's finest colonial art treasures.
Yaguarón lies about 48 kilometers southeast of Asunción. The Church of San Buenaventura, built between 1755 and 1772, is a representative example of Franciscan mission architecture. Its exterior is a large building with wooden columns, earthen walls and a wide arcade. Inside, however, you'll find a fully painted and gilded Baroque wooden main altar, pulpit and religious statues. Guaraní craftsmen made them, and they are regarded as the most exquisite colonial religious art in Paraguay. Opposite the church is the house museum of Dr. Francia, who became Paraguay's first dictator after independence. Opening hours are irregular, but Sunday mornings are usually easier to get into. You can visit together with Paraguarí and Cerro Yaguarón.
Opening hours
About 07:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00 (irregular)
Nearby sights
- Itauguá
- Basilica of Our Lady of Caacupé
- Lake Ypacaraí (San Bernardino)
- Areguá
- Museo del Barro
- Recoleta Cemetery (Asunción)
- Cerro Lambaré
- Botanical Garden and Zoo of Asunción