Sunday, March 6, 2011

Jesuit Reductions, Paraguay

Another weekend comes to an end...a too short one as usual. Weekends seem to disappear in a blink of an eye...and a new Monday knocks on the door.
Well, lets close this week with another update...and a more than a special card for the kick-off!

It is special coz of several reasons....first of all this is my first ever card from Paraguay...second, it is written and stamped! And third, and to me the most important, it came as a real surprise from Ana in Paraguay on the behalf of dear Anu! There is nothing more meaningful in a card than such thoughtfulness, and im more than touched and thankful for such an amazing surprise! Oh yeah, actually I received not one, but TWO written and stamped Paraguay cards, and for now of course, ill brag with just one of them :)
The card shows the Jesuit Reductions, small colonies established by the missionaries in various locations in South America throughout the 17th and 18th century. Reducciones were built as miniature city-states that integrated indigenous populations with Christian faith.
In these missions the Jesuits taught the natives Spanish and how to write and read but also other crafts like how to make furniture and religious figures in wood. These missions were very important because they had saved many lives since the natives could have been victims of raids and other attacks.
This place is also known as La Santisima Trinidad de Paraná often referred to by the locals as simply the "ruins of Trinidad".
And before I forget, this place is also a UNESCO WHS! :)



The stamp on the left is from a set of two stamps issued in 2007 commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Institute of High Studies in Fine Arts. The other stamp was also issued in 2007, representing a Nature Park.
In case you find the cancellation awkward, it's coz I actually had to delete parts of it, since it was placed over my address...and these Latin/South American cancellations are just soo huge, they simply cover the entire address :)

Thank you so much again to both Ana and Anu for such a fantastic card and one of the loveliest surprises! <3

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