Panteon de los Heroes

We walked through Constitution Park to the Panteon de los Heroes, one of the city's most important sites. It was modelled on Les Invalides in Paris in the mid-19th century. Work on its construction began in 1863 under the direction of Francisco Lopez, but it wasn't completed until 1936 due to the War of the Triple Alliance. A military guard stands on the steps outside the Panteon at all times. The guard changes several times a day, but it is no great spectacle! When we were there, the two guards in full military uniform were replaced by two more. At the point of changeover, they had a chat and the new guards gave the ones they were replacing a cigarette each which they promptly lit before sauntering away, their shift over!

The Panteon itself is open to the public all day. It is free to enter. It stands as Paraguay's national mausoleum. In the centre, there is a circular vault which is viewed from above. This contains the remains of Paraguayan leaders and war heroes such as Mariscal Lopez and Mariscal Estigarribia. On a plinth in the middle is the tomb of the Unknown Child Soldier who was killed in the battle of Acosta Nu on 15th August 1869. It was one of the last engagements of the War of the Triple Alliance. By then, most of Paraguay's fighting men had already been killed. In their place, an army of poorly equipped children aged between 12 and 16 was sent to be mown down by the might of the Brazilian army.

The second function of the Panteon is that it is the home of the Oratory of the Virgin Our lady St Mary of Asuncion. The large, glistening altar piece fills the entire rear wall of the Panteon.

After our visit to the Panteon, we had a break in a juice bar where we each had a delicious freshly made lemon, orange, and pineapple juice, and we shared a fruit salad - very healthy and very refreshing as the temperature soared!

We then visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, the main Catholic church in Asunción. The latest version of the cathedral was built during the government of Don Carlos Antonio López and inaugurated in 1845. It has a high altar coated in silver.Leggi altro