Pilar, Paraguay
Encyclopedia
Pilar is the capital city of the Paraguay
an department
of Ñeembucú, located along the Paraguay River
in the southwestern part of the country. Located about 358 km (222.5 mi) from Asunción
, Pilar serves as an important center of commerce and government for the far southwestern region of the country.
on October 12, 1779. The original name of the settlemnt was Villa del Ñeembucú, named for the nearby Arroyo Ñeembucú that flows into the Paraguay River. Four years later it was renamed Villa del Pilar by Spanish
priest
Marcial Antonio Uliambre, for the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
in his hometown of Zaragoza
.
The old town council building in Pilar is where former president Francisco Solano López
is believed to have uttered a now famous phrase in defiance against combatants in the costly War of the Triple Alliance
: "Never shall the sacred insignia of my country fall from my hands".
rivers, Pilar is in a region of the country with many small streams, rivers and wetlands that contribute to a humid climate. The average annual temperature is 22 °C (71.6 °F). Summer temperatures can reach as high as 40 °C (104 °F), and it winter it drops to as low as 2 °C (35.6 °F). The rainy months are January, March, April and October; the dryer are May and August.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar, whose feast day is celebrated on October 12, is a magnificent church constructed by Italian missionaries to the city.
During Semana Santa the city is the site of a large fishing
tournament
and competition
that attracts participants and spectators from all over Paraguay
and Northern Argentina
.
The city's location on the Rio Paraguay provides a prime location for boating and fishing. There are walking paths, pavilions, and parks located on the shores of the river. The shores of the calmer Arroyo Ñeembucú provide the city's residents with a beach
to enjoy on hot December days.
The Town Council Museum was constructed in 1817, during the government of President Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia. It is excellently preserved. This is the only build of this nature that is still preserved in the country. The museum contains objects of historical importance including photographs, trophies and medals that belonged to the Marshall López, as well as pieces of columns from the old church, weapons, bullets, ammunitions, chains, lances, shields and other historical artifacts.
, however traffic is limited to private airplanes.
Ferry traffic from the harbor of Pilar connects to Puerto Cano in Argentina
. There is a paved highway -#4 National Highway, 140 km long- that starts at San Ignacio
and leads to Pilar.
Until quite recently, there was no paved route to Asunción, and the city was nearly isolated during periods of rain. Today, however, there are daily buses to various other cities. The primary mode of transportation to other cities is by bus from the Central Terminal, which offers routes to Asunción
and its suburbs such as Luque
, Ñemby
, and San Lorenzo, as well as Ciudad del Este
, Villarica
, Pedro Juan Caballero
, Encarnacion
, Santa Rita
, Concepción
, and Villa Hayes
.
Within the city, motorcycles and mopeds make up the bulk of traffic, with bicycles also constituting a significant percentage of traffic. In addition, it is quite possible to find people on horseback, in horse-drawn carts, on foot, and in cars or trucks on the same street.
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
an department
Departments of Paraguay
|Paraguay consists of 17 departments and one capital district . These are, with their capitals indicated in parentheses:- External links :...
of Ñeembucú, located along the Paraguay River
Paraguay River
The Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
in the southwestern part of the country. Located about 358 km (222.5 mi) from Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
, Pilar serves as an important center of commerce and government for the far southwestern region of the country.
History
Pilar was founded by Pedro Melo de PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
on October 12, 1779. The original name of the settlemnt was Villa del Ñeembucú, named for the nearby Arroyo Ñeembucú that flows into the Paraguay River. Four years later it was renamed Villa del Pilar by Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
Marcial Antonio Uliambre, for the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
The Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. The Basilica venerates Blessed Virgin Mary, under her title Our Lady of the Pillar praised as Mother of the Hispanic Peoples by Pope John Paul II...
in his hometown of Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
.
The old town council building in Pilar is where former president Francisco Solano López
Francisco Solano López (politician)
Francisco Solano López Carrillo was president of Paraguay from 1862 until his death in 1870. He was officially the eldest son of president Carlos Antonio López, whom he succeeded...
is believed to have uttered a now famous phrase in defiance against combatants in the costly War of the Triple Alliance
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
: "Never shall the sacred insignia of my country fall from my hands".
Climate
Situated near the confluence of the Paraguay and ParanáParaná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
rivers, Pilar is in a region of the country with many small streams, rivers and wetlands that contribute to a humid climate. The average annual temperature is 22 °C (71.6 °F). Summer temperatures can reach as high as 40 °C (104 °F), and it winter it drops to as low as 2 °C (35.6 °F). The rainy months are January, March, April and October; the dryer are May and August.
Demographics
Pilar has a total population of 29,327, with 14,298 men and 15,030 women, according to information provided by the General Directorate of Statistics, Polls and Census.Tourism
The center of the city is home to a large number of historical buildings dating back to the founding of the city.The Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar, whose feast day is celebrated on October 12, is a magnificent church constructed by Italian missionaries to the city.
During Semana Santa the city is the site of a large fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
and competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
that attracts participants and spectators from all over Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
and Northern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
The city's location on the Rio Paraguay provides a prime location for boating and fishing. There are walking paths, pavilions, and parks located on the shores of the river. The shores of the calmer Arroyo Ñeembucú provide the city's residents with a beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
to enjoy on hot December days.
The Town Council Museum was constructed in 1817, during the government of President Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia. It is excellently preserved. This is the only build of this nature that is still preserved in the country. The museum contains objects of historical importance including photographs, trophies and medals that belonged to the Marshall López, as well as pieces of columns from the old church, weapons, bullets, ammunitions, chains, lances, shields and other historical artifacts.
Transportation
Pilar is served by Carlos Miguel Jiménez AirportCarlos Miguel Jiménez Airport
Carlos Miguel Jiménez Airport is a small airport that serves the city of Pilar, in the Ñeembucú Department of Paraguay.Since 2005, the airport will be undergoing a major technological renovation.-Incidents:...
, however traffic is limited to private airplanes.
Ferry traffic from the harbor of Pilar connects to Puerto Cano in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. There is a paved highway -#4 National Highway, 140 km long- that starts at San Ignacio
San Ignacio, Paraguay
San Ignacio, also known as San Ignacio Guazú, is a city and district in the Misiones Department of Paraguay, located from Asunción. It is the second-largest district in area and the largest in population , of Misiones' ten districts.-Geography:The urban area of the district is located right in...
and leads to Pilar.
Until quite recently, there was no paved route to Asunción, and the city was nearly isolated during periods of rain. Today, however, there are daily buses to various other cities. The primary mode of transportation to other cities is by bus from the Central Terminal, which offers routes to Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
and its suburbs such as Luque
Luque
Luque is a city in Central Department, Paraguay, part of the Gran Asunción metropolitan area. It is located at around . It is the location of the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport for Asunción and the headquarters of CONMEBOL...
, Ñemby
Ñemby
Ñemby is a city in the Central Department of Paraguay. It is part of the Gran Asunción metropolitan area.-History:Among the historical sites of this city stands the Church of San Lorenzo which was founded by Spanish settlers in 1718 when Ñemby was a population of only 2,187 inhabitants.Other...
, and San Lorenzo, as well as Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este is the second largest city in Paraguay and capital of Alto Paraná department, located at the Rio Paraná....
, Villarica
Villarica
Villarica is one of the largest barangays of Midsayap, North Cotabato. It is classified as urban as it stretches the national highway going to Davao and Cotabato...
, Pedro Juan Caballero
Pedro Juan Caballero
Pedro Juan Caballero may refer to:*Pedro Juan Caballero , leader of Paraguayan independence*Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay, a city...
, Encarnacion
Encarnación
Encarnación means incarnation in Spanish.Encarnación may also refer to:People:* Edwin Encarnación , Major League Baseball third baseman* José Encarnación, Jr...
, Santa Rita
Santa Rita
Santa Rita may refer to:*Rita of Cascia, a Catholic saint*Associação Atlética Santa Rita, a Brazilian football club-Places:*Brazil**Santa Rita, Macapá, a borough in the city of Macapá in Amapá state...
, Concepción
Concepción, Paraguay
- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, and Villa Hayes
Villa Hayes
Villa Hayes is a city in Paraguay, and is the capital of the department of Presidente Hayes.-Name:Known as “the City of the Five Names”, it was eventually named in honor of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States.-Weather:...
.
Within the city, motorcycles and mopeds make up the bulk of traffic, with bicycles also constituting a significant percentage of traffic. In addition, it is quite possible to find people on horseback, in horse-drawn carts, on foot, and in cars or trucks on the same street.
Sources
- World Gazeteer: Paraguay – World-Gazetteer.com