The ruins
Among the plants.
Halley Pacheco de Oliveira — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Halley Pacheco de Oliveira — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Laíse Barros — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Laíse Barros — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Laíse Barros — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rafaela Ely — CC BY 2.0
The São Lourenço Mártir Archaeological Site holds the ruins of one of the seven Jesuit reductions of Rio Grande do Sul, the «Sete Povos das Missões». It lies in the district of São Lourenço das Missões in the municipality of São Luiz Gonzaga, about 30 kilometres from the town along the BR-285 highway. From 1609 Jesuit missionaries founded organised villages for the Guarani people in the Spanish Province of Paraguay, spreading as far as the «Tape» region in what is now southern Brazil. São Lourenço Mártir was founded in 1690 and became one of the largest of the seven, home to nearly 7,000 Guarani, laid out around a great central square. Today the site holds the remains of the church, cemetery, school and farmhouse, partly overgrown with vegetation that gives them a special atmosphere, and near the entrance an exhibition presents the findings of archaeological research. It is quieter than the UNESCO-listed ruins of São Miguel and is combined with them on a tour of the missions. Check opening times.
Among the plants.
At the entrance.
With São Miguel.
São Lourenço das Missões, São Luiz Gonzaga municipality, Rio Grande do Sul
About 30 kilometres along the BR-285 highway.