Ypacarai

Mirador Bella Vista

Ypacaraí is a town in the Central Department of Paraguay on the Lake Ypacarai. On the Paraguayan highway system, it is located between Asunción and Caacupé, near Areguá and San Bernardino. Known as the "City of Folklore" after the Ypacaraí Festival, it is located on the Ybytypanemá mountain range, which is in the Los Altos mountain range, near the Ypacaraí lake. In 2020, the village had a population of 28,283, and is 64.1 m above sea level. Notable agricultural crops of the area include tobacco and cotton. Lake Ypacaraí is popular with tourists and locals in the landlocked nation of Paraguay.

Paraguayan footballer Carlos Gamarra is from Ypacaraí.

Etymology

Ypacaraí, means "Conjured Lake", so called because in 1603, the missionary Luis de Bolaños blessed the lake to contain its waters, since they flooded all the way to the Valley of Pirayú. The Guarani words, "ypa" means lake and "karai" means Lord or blessed, thus Paraguay has the Lord's Lake or Blessed Lake.

There are other versions, such as the one that says that when the Spaniards arrived they asked the natives what the lake was called and, responding, they said "Ypa Karaí?" Which when translated is "Are you referring to the water, Sir?".

History

The city that already existed at the end of the 17th century – was one of the Itauguá companies, with the name of «Guazú Virá», later changed to «Tacuaral».

On 27 March 1864, the extension of the railway line to the Guazú Virá station was inaugurated, called "Estación Tacuaral" (from there it takes the name of "Tacuaral"), around said station the community grew due to the movement that this generated. Over the years the idea of separating from Itauguá arose and a commission was formed to take the request to the President of the Paraguayan Republic, General Patricio Escobar. This commission was made up of: Lytton Snead, José Galo Guanes, Higinio Escobar, Eustaquio Feliú, David Baruch, Ramón Negrete, Dionisio Pérez and Eliseo Patiño, thus initiating the corresponding procedures.

On 13 September of the year 1887 the creation of "Ypacaraí" was established. The first people to lead the town were Mr. Higinio Escobar as police chief and justice of the peace and Father Adolfo Valenzuela, in charge of religious services. The district was very marginalized during the Stroessner dictatorship, which is why it came to be known as "the capital of folklore and democracy".

Geography

Ypacaraí limits to the west with the departmental capital Areguá, to the south with Itá, to the north with Ypacaraí Lake and to the east with the department of Cordillera . Belonging to the central part and the metropolitan region of the Greater Asunción Area.

Hydrography

Several streams flow into the lake and they are: Pirayú, Paso Puente, Estrella, Jukury, in turn the waters of the lake flow into the Paraguay River, through the Salado River .

The Ypacaraí Lake has been an inspiration for locals and others, and as a result of this the song known worldwide as "Memories of Ypacaraí" was born, composed by Zulema de Mirkin and Demetrio Ortiz . This lake has an extension of 22 km from north to south, between 5 and 6 km wide and a depth of 3m, surrounded by lush vegetation.

Culture

In this city we can visit the monument to music, symbol and trophy of the Ypacaraí Festival. Upon entering the city, we come across the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, also the "House of Culture: Teodoro S. Mongelós", in which there is a mausoleum, the mortal remains of and Demetrio Ortiz, creator of "Memories of Ypacaraí", also in this Cultural Center is the Museum "Memoria Ypacaraiense" where objects from the war of 70 are exhibited, and also of contemporary people, illustrious men and women.

Francisco Gaona, educator, social activist, trade unionist and historian, author of the book called "Introduction to the Guild and Social History of Paraguay", was born in this city in 1901.

It is worth highlighting the history of Luisón de Tacuaral, a legend that originated in Cerrito, a place adjacent to the city.

The Paraguayan rock bands of Salamandra and Bohemia Urbana, of great national and international diffusion, are originally from this city, where they also usually record takes for their video clips.

The public square; considered as the main axis of the cultural and historical heritage of the city, it is connected to the Station and the House of Culture.

Religion

The Sacred Heart of Jesus parish is the main church of the city along with the convent of the house of the Franciscan sisters and the Shrine of the Virgin of Schoenstatt of Tuparendá; replica of the sanctuary of the one in Germany, with an infrastructure to house several groups, it has a beautiful vegetation, a major construction is currently being carried out. We also find the Salesian Church of Don Bosco; There is also the house of the "Salesian Family".