São Miguel das Missões
Encyclopedia
São Miguel das Missões (sɐ̃w̃ miˈgɛw das misˈõȷ̃s) (Portuguese
for St. Michael of the Missions
) is a Unesco World Heritage site located in the small town of São Miguel das Missões
in the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul
, a state in southern Brazil
. It is also known as São Miguel Arcanjo and by its Spanish language
name San Miguel. It was one of the many Spanish Jesuit Reductions
in Argentina
, Brazil, Paraguay
and Bolivia
. Jesuit missionaries founded the mission in the 18th century in part to catechise
the Guaraní Indian population and to protect the natives from the Portuguese
slave traders
known as the Bandeirantes
.
The mission was built between 1735 to around 1745. The Treaty of Madrid
in 1750 handed sovereignty over the area from Spain to Portugal and the Jesuits were ordered to leave. Their refusal to comply led to the mission's termination in a battle with a Portuguese-Spanish army which had been sent to enforce the newly agreed upon frontier between the two colonial powers. The cathedral in nearby Santo Ângelo
city is modeled after the São Miguel das Missões reduction.
The ruins
of São Miguel das Missões are protected by UNESCO
since 1983. Occupying an area of 1229.8 km ².
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
for St. Michael of the Missions
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
) is a Unesco World Heritage site located in the small town of São Miguel das Missões
São Miguel das Missões (city)
São Miguel das Missões is a town in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, which grew around a Jesuit Reduction of the same name founded in 1632. Area of the City: 1246 km², Population: 7,682 inhabitants...
in the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, a state in southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is also known as São Miguel Arcanjo and by its Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
name San Miguel. It was one of the many Spanish Jesuit Reductions
Jesuit Reductions
A Jesuit Reduction was a type of settlement for indigenous people in Latin America created by the Jesuit Order during the 17th and 18th centuries. In general, the strategy of the Spanish Empire was to gather native populations into centers called Indian Reductions , in order to Christianize, tax,...
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...
, Brazil, 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 Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. Jesuit missionaries founded the mission in the 18th century in part to catechise
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
the Guaraní Indian population and to protect the natives from the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
slave traders
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
known as the Bandeirantes
Bandeirantes
The bandeirantes were composed of Indians , caboclos , and some whites who were the captains of the Bandeiras. Members of the 16th–18th century South American slave-hunting expeditions called bandeiras...
.
Treaty of Madrid (1750)
The Spanish–Portuguese treaty of 1750 or Treaty of Madrid was a document signed by Ferdinand VI of Spain and John V of Portugal on January 13, 1750, concerning their empires and status of their territories in what is now Brazil....
in 1750 handed sovereignty over the area from Spain to Portugal and the Jesuits were ordered to leave. Their refusal to comply led to the mission's termination in a battle with a Portuguese-Spanish army which had been sent to enforce the newly agreed upon frontier between the two colonial powers. The cathedral in nearby Santo Ângelo
Santo Ângelo
Santo Ângelo is a city located in northwestern Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. City population is about 76,304 inhabitants and the total area of the municipality is about 677 km²...
city is modeled after the São Miguel das Missões reduction.
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
of São Miguel das Missões are protected by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
since 1983. Occupying an area of 1229.8 km ².
See also
- The Mission, a 1986 film starring Robert De NiroRobert De NiroRobert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
and Jeremy IronsJeremy IronsJeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
, about the Jesuit Missions of the Guaraní. The set recreates what São Miguel das Missões may have looked like in the 18th century. - Jesuit ReductionsJesuit ReductionsA Jesuit Reduction was a type of settlement for indigenous people in Latin America created by the Jesuit Order during the 17th and 18th centuries. In general, the strategy of the Spanish Empire was to gather native populations into centers called Indian Reductions , in order to Christianize, tax,...
- San Ignacio MiníSan Ignacio MiníSan Ignacio Miní was one of the many missions founded in 1632 by the Jesuits in the Americas during the Spanish colonial period near present-day San Ignacio valley, some 60km north of Posadas, Misiones Province, Argentina....
- Guarani WarGuarani WarThe Guarani War of 1756, also called the War of the Seven Reductions, took place between the Guaraní tribes of seven Jesuit Reductions and joint Spanish-Portuguese forces...