La Cruz’s Jesuit past can be explored through several distinct traces. Alongside ruins and old walls, these include an interpretation center, a religious image, a sundial, and the Luminarias. When planning your visit, it is worth distinguishing explanatory exhibitions from historic sites and objects: they offer different ways to learn about the history of the former reductions.

Ruins and National Heritage

The Jesuit Ruins can still be visited in various locations in the city center. The old Jesuit walls are an important material record of La Cruz’s past. Walking among the ruins lets you imagine the layout of one of the region’s most significant mission settlements. This allows you to look beyond individual walls and consider the former settlement as a whole.

Law 25.117 permanently declares the relics, archaeological remains, anthropological elements, and ruins of the former Jesuit missions in La Cruz to be part of the national cultural and historical heritage. The declaration thus covers different kinds of evidence: remains and ruins, as well as anthropological elements and relics. This designation provides a historical context for your visit, while the walls and archaeological sites establish a tangible connection to the city.

The Guaraní Jesuit Interpretation Center

Through exhibitions, audiovisual materials, historical reproductions, and cultural heritage objects, the Guaraní Jesuit Interpretation Center conveys what life was like in the former reductions. Its exhibits also include depictions of the former Jesuit town plan. The focus is therefore on both life in the reductions and the layout of the town at the time.

The center is designed as a starting point for visiting La Cruz’s historic sites. It is located opposite Plaza San Martín, at the corner of Belgrano and Zelmira Lucas de Soto. This precise location helps you find your way around the city; the center itself offers an introduction before you explore the individual historic sites and objects.

Sundial and Luminarias

The sundial created by the Jesuits is one of La Cruz’s most significant historic attractions. It is more than five meters tall and bears a Latin inscription in praise of God. Its history is also part of what makes it special: the sundial has survived repeated looting and fires. Its size, inscription, and survival through destruction offer three concrete points of reference for understanding this historic object.

The Luminarias are hollowed-out stone blocks dating from the colonial period. They were used to light the town’s streets with burning fat or tallow. Today, they can be found at various historic sites across the city, particularly around the main square, and are among the distinctive symbols of La Cruz’s historic heritage. While the sundial stands out as a single, large object, the Luminarias point to an earlier way of lighting the streets.

Iglesia Antigua and Museum Collection

Iglesia Antigua is located in La Cruz, along the Jesuit-Guaraní Corridor. The church houses an image of Our Lady of the Assumption, carved by Indigenous people during the Jesuit period. Alongside the walls and remains of the former missions, this religious artwork offers another tangible record of the period.

The Jesuit Museum in La Cruz preserves a collection of historically valuable objects brought by the Jesuits. The collection complements the architectural remains and the religious image with objects of their own historical provenance. Together, these places and objects show that La Cruz’s history is not limited to a single ruin or attraction.

Getting There and Finding a Hotel

La Cruz is located on National Route 14 and has direct road connections to Santo Tomé, Paso de los Libres, and other places in the region. These connections give you a practical reference point when planning your journey. If you are looking for hotels for a stay in La Cruz, you can first make the historic sites the focus of your trip, then compare the location of each accommodation with your own plans for sightseeing.

Discover more destinations: Yapeyú.

Back to the regional travel overview: San Martín Department.