Paraguay Río de la Plata to the Paraná River, and finally up the Paraguay River. In 1537, they established the city of Asunción, which was the first capital of the Governorate of Paraguay and Río de la Plata. Paraguay was the epicenter of the Jesuit Missions, where the Guaraní people were educated and introduced to Christianity and European culture under the direction of the Society of Jesus in Jesuit reductions, mainly during the 17th century. However, after the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spanish territories in 1767, Paraguay increasingly became a peripheral colony, with few urban centers and settlers. Following independence
San Juan Bautista, Paraguay Mangoré, today a museum and a cultural center, is frequented by tourists. Other interesting locations in the vicinity are: Beyond San Juan Bautista, an unpaved road goes to Santa María. Another road also goes to Route 4th and to Pilar in Ñeembucú. Agustín Pío Barrios (Mangoré) was born in San Juan Misiones. He was a famous Paraguayan guitarist. The current governor is Victor H. Pereira. San Juan Bautista, Paraguay San Juan Bautista (), capital of the Department of Misiones, Paraguay, is considered the cradle of the religious mission culture. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of