Best Accommodation For Weddings Asuncion Near Me

4worldlovers: Expect relaxation at Sheraton Asuncion Hotel in Paraguay. We offer modern lodgings ideal for both business and leisure travelers in the heart of Asuncion's Financial District. Stay near everything this... See More

4worldlovers:
The Paraguayan capital Asunción – also the largest city in the South American state – has around 525,300 inhabitants (as of July 2019), and around 1.9 million people live in the entire area. The name means "Ascension" in Spanish and is based on the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. In the Guaraní language, the city is called Paraguaŷ, while the country is called Paraguái.


The city is located in a bay on the left side of the Río Paraguay. It has several hills. One of them is the Loma Cabará, where Asunción was probably founded. In addition, many streams flow through the city and feed the Paraguay River. Most of them originate directly in the urban area and were probably a main motive for founding a settlement here. For a long time, the inhabitants of the city obtained their drinking water from them, but nowadays, they are surrounded by water pipes. This also serves as protection against flooding. Before the transition to Paraguay, some lagoons formed that attracted mosquitoes – Asunción has a serious problem with the mosquito Aedes Aegypti, which transmits dengue fever. The city is divided into districts. The capital is actually surrounded by several other cities, which it has grown together with in recent decades.


After the Spanish conquest in August 1537, a fort was built on what is now the city, which Salazar de Espinoza had built. The order came from the conquistador Pedro de Mendoza. In September 1541, the fortified settlement received the status of a city. This makes it one of the oldest Spanish cities in South America. Its real name – still official today – is "La muy noble-y leal ciudad de-Nuestra Señora Santa María-de la Asunción" (The Very Venerable and Loyal City of Our Blessed Lady of Ascension). Starting from Asunción, the Spaniards carried out several expeditions and founded further cities on the continent, which earned the Paraguayan city the nickname "Madre de Ciudades" ("Mother of the Cities"). One of these later settlements was the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. The Spaniards who emigrated to Paraguay and their descendants intermingled with the natives, and soon regarded themselves as South Americans who rebelled against the Spanish colonial rulers. The first significant uprising took place in 1731 and Paraguay became independent in 1811. A dictatorship arose under José Rodríguez de Francias. The new rulers tore down the original city center of Asunción and rebuilt it in a chessboard pattern, which paradoxically was a reference to the Spanish architectural style in the colonies. At times, Asunción was occupied by Brazilians in the course of armed conflicts between the late 1860s and 1870s, who also left architectural traces. The city was heavily populated by Europeans in the 19th century, including Spaniards, Germans and Italians. In the 1880s, it had about 20,000 inhabitants. A second wave of immigration followed in the early 20th century, this time Turks, Syrians and Lebanese came. Their traces are also visible in the cityscape.


In the city center, the Plaza de los Héroes and the Calle de la Independencia form the architectural and cultural center. Most of the banks, shops, exchange offices and souvenir shops are located along the east-west Calle Palma and Estrella de Mayo. There are free concerts in the pedestrian area of Calle Palma on weekends. Architectural highlights are:


Panteón de los Héroes: The Panteón, with the nickname "Oratorio de la Virgen," was built in 1863. The nickname refers to the patron saint of the city, Virgen de la Asunción. She was a marshal and since 1936, has been symbolically watching over the bones of Paraguayan war heroes.


Central station Central del Ferrocarril: It has existed since 1861, and an interesting museum is attached.


Catedral Metropolitana: The foundation stone for this cathedral – bishop's church of the archdiocese – was already laid in the 17th century. In the 19th century, the building was completed. The altar is especially worth seeing.


Palacio de Gobierno: The government palace was once the residence of the first Paraguayan president Francisco Solano López, the Palacio therefore is also referred to as "de los López". It was built by Alonso Taylor after the model of the Louvre in Paris.


Cabildo: The building was once the Town Hall and now houses the National Cultural Center.

Casa de la Independencia: This older house was a nest of resistance against the Spanish colonial masters. Since 1961, it has been a museum of the independence revolt.

Casa Viola, Casa Castelví: These are probably the oldest houses in Asunción, dating from the late 18th century. Today, they serve the culture and the municipal library.

Iglesia de la Encarnación: It is worth visiting the small, hidden church. It contains valuable cultural monuments.