Stone cities for the glory of God: The Jesuit missions of Guaranis (17th and 18th centuries). Analysis of the church at Santa Ana mission (Argentina)

MARÍA VICTORIA ROCA

Kyoto

Congreso; WAC 8 (Congreso Arqueológico Mundial); 2016

WAC, Prefectura de Kyoto, Doshisha University, Kyoto University, Science Council of Japan

The Order of the Jesus Society carried out an evangelization work among South American natives during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Guaranis were one of the people converted to Catholicism. Entire cities called missions or reductions were built within this context. This planned architecture had characteristics of durability, mainly achieved by the use of both sandstone and tacuru rock. This presentation will show the first results of the analysis of walls and ornaments from the church of the Santa Ana mission. Its remains are located in the North East of Argentina, and it is a World Heritage Site.