São Miguel das Missões

Ruins Of SãO Miguel Arcanjo, Part Of The Jesuit Missions Of The Guaranis, UNESCO World Heritage Site Inscribed 1983 (Shared With Argentina) · São Miguel das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul

São Miguel das Missões, in the far west of Rio Grande do Sul, holds the finest ruins of the Jesuit missions to the Guarani people in Brazil. From the seventeenth century the Jesuits organised Guarani communities into mission towns, the reductions, across what is now Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, until the missions were destroyed by war and the expulsion of the Jesuits in the eighteenth century. At São Miguel, the reddish sandstone façade and tower of the great church, built in the eighteenth century, still stand on a wide lawn where the town square was. A small museum designed by the architect Lúcio Costa holds carved wooden saints made by Guarani artists. Every evening a sound and light show tells the story of the missions against the floodlit ruins. The site is part of a World Heritage listing shared with the Argentine missions, San Ignacio Miní above all, and many visitors cross the border to see both. The film The Mission tells a version of this history. It is remote and quiet, and best seen at dusk and after dark.

Sítio Arqueológico de São Miguel Arcanjo, São Miguel das Missões, RS, São Miguel das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The archaeological site and the Museu das Missões open daily in daytime hours, though the site can close on some public holidays or for maintenance. The sound and light show runs in the evening after dark, so its start time shifts with the seasons, later in summer and earlier in winter; it may be cancelled in heavy rain or for technical problems, and in quiet periods it can run with only a handful of people. The day ticket and the show ticket are sold separately, and the show sells on the day at the site. Last entry to the ruins is some time before closing, so arriving late in the afternoon can mean a rushed museum visit. The town itself is tiny and shuts early; there are few places to eat after the show, so plan dinner. Santo Ângelo, about an hour away, is the nearest town with an airport and more hotels. Confirm the current site hours and show times with the site before driving out.

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