San Ignacio Mini Ruins

About

The San Ignacio Mini Ruins mark the original San Ignacio settlement was constructed in 1610 in what is now Brazil, but after 20 years they were forced to relocate because of attacks from Portuguese bandits. In 1696, the Jesuits finally established San Ignacio Mini in its present location. At its peak, San Ignacio Mini was a self-sufficient settlement home to 3,000 mostly indigenous inhabitants, but this all came to an end in the mid-18th century when the Jesuits fell out of favor with the King of Spain and were forced from the country. Despite being left to fall into ruin, and the locals’ attempts to destroy them, the San Ignacio Mini Ruins are still some of the best-preserved Jesuit ruins in South America. Pay special attention to the intricately-carved walls of the plaza and the Guaraní baroque style church.