SÍTIO ARQUEOLÓGICO DE SÃO MIGUEL ARCANJO

These ruins are part of the "circuit of Jesuit missions", which like the region of Foz do Iguaçu straddles three countries: Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. The ruins of the mission of São Miguel das Missões are remarkable because, although they are in the open air, their ochre sandstone walls are still standing, at least for the most part. The size of this building, built in 1735, is impressive. One can imagine the size of the college, offices and houses that existed here. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the neighboring Argentinean and Paraguayan missions, it is the only Jesuit mission of the Guaraníes that is really worth a visit on the Brazilian side. Built by the Italian Father João Batista Primolli, his plan was to add a second tower as an astronomical observatory, but it was never realized. Inside there is a small and interesting museum with sacred sculptures from the 17th and 18th centuries, coming from the different ruins of the missions in the surrounding area, most of them made of painted wood. The place is enchanting, because here you can admire an exuberant nature where the roots of the trees have invaded the stones of the mission, just like in the temples of Angkor Wat. In the evening, you can watch a sound and light show projected on the façade. As an anecdote, the film Mission, directed in 1994 by Quebecer Roland Joffé, with Robert de Niro, deals with the 150-year history of the Jesuit missions of the Guaranis.