Argument on behalf of the Santa Maria do Iguaçu Mission 400th Anniversary Festival (Restricted Publication)

 

The State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is leading a campaign to celebrate the 400 years of the foundation of the first Jesuit Reduction or Mission among the Guarani-speaking people of Southern South America back in 1626. Festivities in the RGS state will focus on the foundation of the Saint Nicholas Mission. The logo above is official of their campaign.
  

The Santa Maria Mission on the Iguazu River, (Santa María en el Río Iguazu), was founded in the same year as the San Nicholas Mission (San Nicolás / São Nicolau) in Rio Grande do Sul when the whole area was under Spanish royal Rule. Therefore, the Santa Maria del Iguaz Falls Mission shares the same anniversary year thus also celebrating its 400th anniversary. This date cannot be ignored. Since June this year (2025), spontaneous activities have begun in Foz do Iguaçu to remember and honor the Santa María Mission and include Foz do Iguaçu, the Tri-National Region, and Iguaçu Falls in this commemoration effort. 

The first step in that direction was taken this year with the  visit of the Music Chapel of the Guarani Jesuit Art Museum from San Ignacio Guazu, Paraguay with its musicians and singers who performed Jesuit Guarani Barroque Music at the site where the Santa Maria Iguassu Falls' Mission founded 400 years ago, once stood for over seven years. 

For next year, a special festival is being organized. The Festival name is: First Trinational Santa Maria del Iguazu 400-year Festival or First Trinational Holy Mary of the Iguazu Mission 400-year Festival. Names in the local languages are:   

Primeiro Festival Trinacional Santa Maria do Iguaçu 400 anos (Portuguese)

Primer Festival Trinacional Santa María del Iguazu 400 años (Spanish) 

Arete Guasu Peteĩha Mbohapy Tembeype Santa María del Iguasu 400 ára (Guarani) 

 Trinational Festival Santa Maria do Iguaçu 400 Years  

Why Santa Maria?

1) Because the official name of the Iguaçu Falls in Brazil and Paraná throughout the 1900s was Saltos de Santa Maria do Iguaçu. Santa Maria was the name given to the Jesuit Mission at the Iguaçu Falls, then part of the Spanish-ruled province of Guairá.

a) This is stated on Page 1 of the Book for the Registration of Colonists of the Iguassú Military Colony (1902) when the former Ministry of War gave instructions to demarcate the 1,008 hectares aroun the Santa Maria Falls in favor of the Spanish colonist Jesús Val.

Page 1 of the Book for the Registration of Colonists (1902-1905) photographed at the Paraná State Archives, Curitiba, by Izabelle Ferrari

b) This is stated in the Definitive Title of the Lands of the Iguassú Military Colony transferred to the domain of Spanish-born settler Jesús Val

Details of document where on the second line the Falls are called Saltos de Santa Maria - Santa Maria / Holy Mary Falls

c) A photograph of the Iguassu Falls taken by members of Border Inspection Commission 1929 - 1930 under General Candido Rondon identified as Panorama of the Santa Maria Falls on the Iguassu River, ancient Foundation of Jesuits.  Iguaçu River, Paraná, state, Argentina / Arquivo Nacional

The photo singled out above and below as it appears on the site of the National Archives 

d) This is stated on Decree 2,153 of the Paraná State Federal Intervening General, dated October 20, 1931, ordering the separation of lands to be added to the original 1,008 hectares  in the Saltos Santa Maria area

 

 

Decree 2,153, ☝️ signed by General Mário Tourinho,  set aside an amount of land to be added to the original 1,008 hectares of land given to settler Jesús Val bordering the Santa Maria Falls, for the future creation of a National Park, namely today's Iguassu National Park and World Heritage Site