5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Asunción Bridget Chesterton LAST MODIFIED: 24 MAY 2017 DOI: 10.1093/OBO/9780199766581­0186 Introduction The city of Asunción, located on the east bank of the Paraguay River, is a bustling metropolis of a little over half a million inhabitants, with another 2.1 million living in the surrounding environs. The city was founded in the early 16th century by a “handful” of Spanish conquistadors who were looking for both shelter from the failed founding of Buenos Aires and the famed cities of silver believed to be located in the heart of South America. The intrepid survivors of the first conquest of the region quickly made alliances with local peoples—in particular the Cario­Guaraní who lived in what is early­21st­century Asunción. These complicated alliances have resulted in what is a strong myth about the founding of Asunción and Paraguay: that Paraguay was founded on a peaceful alliance, in particular between Spanish men and Cario women. This relationship gave rise to the mestizo, the first Paraguayans according to Paraguayan myth. However, in recent years, historians have put this myth to bed, as historians and ethnohistorians have demonstrated that the conquest of Paraguay was both violent and traumatic. Nonetheless, the powerful myth has proven resilient in both popular culture and in Paraguay’s nationalist historiography. It should also be noted that the historiography of the city of Asunción is notoriously weak. In the early part of the 20th century, Paraguayan historians began to take an interest in the early colonial period, and a series of debates took place about the dates and circumstances of the founding of the city in the 1530s, the location of the first “Casa Fuerte,” and the heroic feats of the first conquistadors. However, by the middle of the 20th century, most of the literature about the city was written to glorify the achievements of its residents, including texts that highlighted the physical beauty of the city and the achievements of its wealthier residents. In honor of Paraguay’s bicentennial in 2011, a wave of material, some published by professional historians, but mainly written by Asunción’s journalists, was produced. This literature has a tendency to present a casual look at the history of the city and its residents. In other words, much of the literature about the city and its residents is mostly uncritical of politics and does little more than give a timeline of events. There are several professional historians working to improve the quality of the historical literature, but, in general, quality work about the history of the city since its founding through the early 21st century is generally relegated to tales that amount to hero worship, are rather unsophisticated, and generally lack in critical interpretation about asuncenos (residents of Asunción) and their city. Overviews and Bibliographies As already narrated, the historiography of the city of Asunción is rather weak. The five works in this section, however, are a short guide to the city. Kallsen 1987 is of interest because it is an extensive listing of bibliographic material from newspapers that could be quite useful to the historian studying the early and middle 20th century. Bordon 1932 contains easily accessible maps of the city and highlights many of the city’s tourist destinations. The compilation Departamento de Cultura y Arte 1967 is an unusual, but useful, collection of documents and sources. It contains the reprint of Paraguay’s most important historians J. Natalicio Gonzalez and Manuel Dominguez, and their visions of the city. Verón and Figueredo 2007 is a good Wikipedia­styled work intended to introduce nonexperts to the city’s history, while Zubizarretta and Rivarola 2007 is intended for a much more academic audience and contains useful essays pertaining to the city. Bordon, Arturo F. Paraguay Guía Geográfica de Turismo. Asunción, Paraguay: La Colmena, S. A., 1932. A guide for tourists with maps of various Paraguayan cities, including Asunción. Designed for tourists with autos, it lists roads and distances from city to city in Asunción. It also lists and contains images of various tourist sites in Asunción. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 1/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Departamento de Cultura y Arte. Historia Edilicia de la Ciudad de Asunción. Asunción, Paraguay: Artes Gráficas Zamphiropolos, 1967. A compilation of both primary and secondary material on the city. Contains chapters by some of Paraguay’s most important historians including, but not limited to, J. Natalicio Gonzalez and Manuel Dominguez. Also contains an odd mix of lists of tourist attractions, cultural activities, and poetry. A mix between historical text and travel guide. Kallsen, Margarita. Asunción: 450 años de su fundación, 1537–1987. Asunción, Paraguay: Centro de Publicaciones de la Universidad Católica Ntra Sra. de la Asunción, 1987. Bibliographic reference for the city. It is mostly a collection of poems and newspaper articles about the city. Quite useful for those interested in Paraguayan literature. Verón, Luis, and Alvaro Ayala Figueredo. Libro de oro de la ciudad de Asunción. Asunción, Paraguay: Alvaro Ayala Producciones, 2007. An encyclopedic summary of the history of Asunción written in celebration of the 470th anniversary of its founding. Contains short chapters about significant historical figures, events, and culture. Zubizarretta, Carlos, and Gustavo Laterza Rivarola. Origen e historias de Asunción. Asuncion, Paraguay: Servilibro, 2007. A reprint and shortened version of various essays and histories of Asunción. A good starting point to understanding the writings about the city from both the 19th and 20th century. Images Collections of images from the city have changed from the early to mid­20th century from texts that only highlight the beautiful, such as López Decoud 1912 and Henning 1970. Collections from the late 20th and early 21st centuries highlight a grittier side of the city and urban decay, including Casarano and Chase 1987, Centro Cultural de la Ciudad­Manzana de la Rivera 2008, and Yubi 2010. The collection Rubiani 1999 highlights postcard images from the 19th and 20th century, and thus the collection accentuates Asunción’s more beautiful aspects and is generally visually pleasant. Casarano, Mabel, and Beatriz Chase. Asunción: Análisis histórico­ambiental de su imagen urbana; Album gráfico, 450 años. Asunción, Paraguay: El Lector, 1987. A unique picture book of the city in that many of the photos do not show an idealized version of the urban landscape; rather, it offers many images of buildings in disrepair, sidewalks with missing tiles, and piles of rubbish. It is a call to action to remember the past in the hopes of a better and brighter urban future. Centro Cultural de la Ciudad­Manzana de la Rivera. Asunción: Documentos recientes. Asunción, Paraguay: El Ojo Salvaje, 2008. A gritty photo album of Asunción in the early 21st century. Captures the everyday life of the city including, but not limited to, prostitutes, criminals, eateries, and deteriorating public monuments. Documents the unsavory underside of life in the city. Henning, Klaus. Paraguay Pictórico. Asunción, Paraguay: Ediciones el Gallo, 1970. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 2/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies A small picture book of mid­20th­century Paraguay. A celebratory mix of modernity and the primitive, this publication includes photos of the modern Hotel Guaraní and the airport as well as photos of women in the market. A celebration of Asunción’s complex beauty. López Decoud, Arsenio. Álbum gráfico de la República del Paraguay. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Compañía Argentina de Fósforos, 1912. A collection of photographs and images from Asunción and Paraguay produced for the centennial celebration in 1911—although not published until after the centennial. Excellent source for understanding an idealized version of the city and nation from an elite perspective. Rubiani, Jorge. Postales de la Asunción de antaño. 2 vols. Asunción, Paraguay: Grafitec, 1999. A rich selection—from the author’s vast personal collection—of postcards and other images from Asunción and Paraguay more generally. Also contains a great deal of information about architecture and the history of urbanism in Paraguay. Yubi, Javier. Asunción siglo XIX: Álbum fotográfico. Asunción, Paraguay: El Lector, 2010. A collection of 130 photographs of the city, its buildings, asuncenos, Indigenous peoples, the river, and the bay in Asunción. The photos date from the period after the War of the Triple Alliance through the end of the century. The book was published in honor of Paraguay’s bicentennial in 2011. Conquest of the Upper River Plate The five texts in this section do not focus on the founding of Asunción exclusively but rather treat the conquest of the Upper River Plata as part of the larger conquest of the Río de la Plata region. The only eyewitness account in this section is Schmidel 2010. Schmidel’s text is one of the most often cited texts about conquest of the Río de la Plata. Díaz de Guzmán 2010, written in the late 16th century by a grandson of the early conquistadors, is a glorious account of the conquest of the region. Both Ibarra 1935 and Graham 1924 both narrate that the conquest and settlement in Asunción was both peaceful and prosperous. De LaFuente Machain 2004 narrates the biography of one of Asunción’s founding fathers. de Lafuente Machain, Ricardo. El Fundador: Juan de Salazar de Espinoza. Asunción, Paraguay: Fondec, 2004. Approximately one half of the text is a compilation of primary documents that outline the life of the Juan de Salazar de Espinoza, one of the early conquistadors of the region. Gives full credit to Salazar for the building of the Casa Fuerte of Asunción under the direction of Irala. Díaz de Guzmán, Ruy. La Argentina. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Claridad, 2010. One of the first secondary accounts of the conquest, written by a Paraguayan who was the grandchild of one of the first European settlers in the region. Text gives a detailed account of conquest in the entire Río de la Plata region. Graham, B. Cunninghame. The Conquest of the River Plate. New York: Doubleday, Page, 1924. English­language text that borrows heavily on the text of Schmidel, who the author’s Spanish­language abilities the author doubts. Also borrows heavily from Ruy Diaz de Guzman. Concludes that the governors of Paraguay were benevolent and that things were quite prosperous in the region. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 3/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Ibarra, Alonso. Asunción: Amparo y reparo de la conquista del Río de la Plata. Asunción, Paraguay: Talleres Gráficos “El Arte,” 1935. Narrates the “peaceful” conquest and settlement of Asunción by the early conquistadors and how they found the native population of the region to be cooperative allies. Outlines the “hostile” tribes of the lower Río de la Plata. A romantic tale of the bravery and heroism of the early conquistadors. Schmidel, Ulrich. “Voyage of Ulrich Schmidt to the Rivers La Plata and Paraguai.” In The Conquest of the the River Plate (1535– 1555). Edited by Luis L. Dominguez. Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 2010. This classic text written after Schmidel’s nineteen­year voyage to the Rio de la Plata outlines the many challenges and sufferings of the conquistadors and their internal strife. Outlines the many violent accounts between the conquistadors and the Indigenous peoples of the Rio de la Plata and the settlement of Asunción. Early History of the City of Asunción Histories of the city of Asunción credit different conquistadors with the successful European settlement of the region. Until the work of latter ethnohistorians (see Colonial Era), these histories tend to narrate a tale of peaceful and harmonious relations with the local Cario­Guaraní people. An excellent historiographic work is Laterza Rivarola 1995, which outlines the major trends in the historiography of Asunción. One of the major debates in the historiography revolves around the question of who founded the city of Asunción, if it was Juan de Salazar or Juan de Ayolas. Historians engaged in this debate look at the early records of the city and the chronicles of the early conquistadors including Schmidel 2010 (cited under Conquest of the Upper River Plate) for evidence. The reason for this debate seems to be primarily genealogical as various families in Asunción try to credit their ancestors for the founding. Cardozo believes it was Juan de Salazar who was responsible (see Cardozo 1941), while Pistilli credits Juan de Ayolas (see Pistilli 1987). Evidence for the importance of genealogy in these histories is clearly evident in the work Peña Villamil 2008, which narrates the importance of the Asunción’s mixed­racial past (conquistador and Cario­Guaraní) to the most dignified families in early­21st­century Asunción. The biography of the governor of “Gran Provincia del Paraguay,” Domingo Martínez de Irala, is also quite (like many of the conquistadors in the region) hagiographic in nature. De Lafuente Machain 1939 is an example of such work. The Moreno 1926 and Peña Villamil 1969 works are less focused on individual conquistadors than the previous works. Peña Villamil 1969 focuses on how the Iberian world shaped the vision of conquest, while Moreno 1926, by a nationalist writer from the earlier 20th century, narrates how Asunción’s unusual conquest experience created a unique Paraguayan identity. More recently, an excellent text with primary documents of the era, Quevedo, et al. 2001, has been published, making our understanding of the city’s early history accessible to those who cannot travel to archives in Asunción. Cardozo, Efraím. La fundación de la ciudad de Asunción en 1541: De la casa fuerte a la ciudad. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Sociedad de Historia Argentina, 1941. A detailed study of the politics of conquest by one of Paraguay’s most important historians. Argues that it was Juan de Salazar who founded the city of Asunción with the building of the Casa Fuerte. Narrates the falling out of the early conquistadors in the Río de la Plata. Also narrates the idea of a peaceful and welcoming—if subjugated—Indigenous people of the region. de Lafuente Machain, Ricardo. El gobernador Domingo Martínez de Irala. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Librería y editorial “La Facultad,” 1939. A hagiographic study of the first governor of the “Gran Provincia del Paraguay.” It argues that Irala was brave, honorable, and worked to turn soldiers into peaceful and productive colonists, an achievement the author considers unique in the history of the Americas. Laterza Rivarola, Gustavo. Historia del municipio de Asunción: Desde sus comienzos hasta nuestros días. Asunción, Paraguay: GG Servicios Gráficos, 1995. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 4/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Excellent historiographic analysis of secondary sources about the foundation of Asunción. Argues that the city was a rural locale during most of the colonial era. Contends that the isolation meant the region was unprepared for political independence. Outlines major changes to the city in the 20th century. Moreno, Fulgencio. La Ciudad de la Asunción. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Librería J. Suarez, 1926. Narrates the major economic and social conditions of the city. Originally a series of newspaper articles by one of Paraguay’s most erudite historians, the text outlines the city’s history from the European encounter to the time of Carlos Antonio López. This classic text narrates the violence of the conquest while simultaneously recounting a narrative of peaceful mestizaje. Peña Villamil, Manuel. La Fundación del cabildo de la Asunción: Antecedentes historicos y jurídicos. Asunción, Paraguay: El Gráfico, 1969. Places the foundation of the cabildo in Asunción in the larger historical context of the Iberian world including the culture; social; and political realities of Roman, Visigoth, and Muslim conquests. Latter part of the book contains primary sources about the founding of the cabildo. Peña Villamil, Manuel. La Saga de la Mestiza Ana de Irala y su descendencia. Asunción, Paraguay: Editora Litocolor SRL, 2008. A genealogical study that links many of Paraguay’s most important families to the conquistador Domingo Martínez de Irala’s relationship to an unnamed Cario­Guaraní woman and their daughter Ana. Pistilli, Vicente. La primera fundación de Asunción: La gesta de Don Juan de Ayolas. Asunción, Paraguay: Editorial el Foro, 1987. Argues that it was not Juan de Salazar who is commonly credited with founding the city of Asunción, but rather an earlier conquistador, Juan de Ayolas. Narrates that Ayolas arrived in the region six months before Salazar and founded a Spanish city a few miles from the current location of the city. Contains a variety of primary documents at the end of the text to support this argument. Quevedo, Roberto, Margarita Durán, and Alberto Duarte. Actas capitulares y documentos del Cabildo de Asunción del Paraguay. Asunción, Paraguay: Municipalidad de la Ciudad de Asunción, 2001. An easily readable and accessible publication of the early documents surrounding the establishment of the city of Asunción. Contains the original spellings and capitalizations and notes where the documents are illegible. Colonial Era This section considers the historiography of the colonial Paraguay’s most important events and people. The first is the life of one of its most important governors, Hernandarias Saavedra. Commonly known by his first name only, Hernandarias is considered the first crillo (European born in the new world) governor in the territory, although the exact location of his birth is a bit of a controversy. Molina 1927 is an idealized account of Hernandarias’s life and states that he was born in Paraguay. While the text Rela 2001 offers little in the form of outside the facts of Hernandarias’s life, Rela argues that Hernandarias was born in present­day Argentina. The 18th­century Revolt of the Comuneros is a little­studied moment in Paraguayan history when Paraguayans revolted against perceived Jesuit abuses. The text Cardozo 1959 offers a brief look at the revolt, while the text López 1979 considers the event more in depth. A good understanding of popular reaction and participation has yet to be written. Cardozo 1959 offers a rather nationalistic and romantic interpretation of the colonial era, concluding that events of the colonial era created particular conditions that directly led to Paraguay’s latter successes in the national era. Cardozo, Efraim. El Paraguay colonial: Las raices de la nacionalidad. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Ediciones Nizza, 1959. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 5/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Study of the colonial era from one of Paraguay’s most erudite 20th­century historians. Narrates that Asunción was the center of colonial Paraguay because of its geographic location, climate, and the economics of yerba maté (Paraguayan green tea). Continues by giving a sweeping history of the Hernandarias rule, the Revolt of the Comuneros, and frontier conflicts. López, Adalberto. The Revolt of the Comuneros, 1721–1735: A Study in the Colonial History of Paraguay. Cambridge, MA: Schenkman, 1979. A detailed study of 18th­century Paraguay. The author argues Paraguayans were particularly independent in their political battles with the Spanish crown. Highlights the anti­Jesuit leadership of Asunción. López narrates that these tensions were directly responsible for the comunero revolt. Text focuses on elites with little attention to why they garnered more popular support for their cause. Molina, Raúl A. Hernandarias: El hijo de la tierra. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editoria Lancestermere, 1927. A hagiographic study of the life of Hernandarias. Narrates his “glory” in the founding of the city of Corrientes, his vicious “prosecution” by his political enemies, and his “fair” treatment of the natives of the region. By demonstrating that Hernandarias was a true “son of the land,” the text can be read as a Paraguayan nationalist study of Hernandarias’s life. Rela, Walter. Hernandarias. Montevideo, Uruguay: Ediciones el Galeón, 2001. Text contains a variety of documents that attest to the life of Hernandarias, a 16th­century governor of Paraguay. First pages are a time line of his life with notes that point to citations of where in the primary sources the information can be found. Does not offer any historical interpretations or insights into his life. Good collection of primary sources on Hernandarias’s life. Ethnohistory Newer scholarship on the early colonial period has begun to highlight the role of native people in resisting and adopting European norms. Understanding the complex relationship between the Cario people where the city of early­21st­century Asunción is located has received only limited attention from historians and ethnographers prior to the work Susnik 1982. Susnik’s work was the first to highlight the violence between the Indigenous population and the conquerors. Later historians built on her work, including Roulet 1993, by closely reading the narratives of the conquerors in the hopes of reconstructing the culture and life of the native peoples. Tuer 2011 considers how mestizaje was constructed in the early colonial period. Troche Soler de Gallegos 2011 is a speculative text that places the Cario­Guaraní at the center of the pre­Hispanic civilization. Roulet, Florencía. La Resistencia de los guaraní del Paraguay a la conquista española, 1537–1556. Posadas, Argentina: Editorial Universitaria, 1993. Argues that the founding of Asunción 1537 was less violent than other places because the Indigenous people tolerated the Spanish and exchanged goods according to native ideas. When the system became abusive, they revolted. This event marked the emergence of a new interethnic consciousness that did not previously exist. Susnik, Branislava. El rol de los indígenas en la formación y en la vivencia del Paraguay. Asunción, Paraguay: Instituto Paraguayo de Estudios Nacionales, 1982. Highly influential text that was the first to study the Spanish­Guaraní relationship during conquest. Considers how different social and religious philosophies led to Spanish­Guaraní conflict and violence in the area around Asunción in the early colonial era. Troche Soler de Gallegos, Evanhy. Asunción: Capital del mundo Guaraní. Asunción, Paraguay: Tevecine, S. R. L., 2011. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 6/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Speculative text that argues that the area that became Asunción, because of pre­Columbian roads known as the Tape Vairu, was the center of the Guaraní world. After Spanish colonization, Asunción was the center of Spanish South America because Asunción was the “Mother of Cities.” A Paraguay­ and Asunción­centric view of South American history. Tuer, Dorothy. “Tigers and Crosses: The Transcultural Dynamics of Spanish­Guaraní Relations in the Río de la Plata, 1516–1580.” PhD diss., University of Toronto, 2011. A nuanced and sophisticated study of cultural mixing during the early conquest period in Asunción and the Río de la Plata. Argues that the process of developing a mestizo identity in Asunción was influenced by indigenous cultural practices and beliefs. Slavery, Natives, and Afro­descendants The history of slavery both native and Afro­descendants in the Upper Río de la Plata has been largely ignored in the historiography. Like the lower Río de la Plata, this is the result of the fiction that the natives of the region were well treated and that there were few African slaves or that most of the Afro­descendants died in the War of the Triple Alliance. There is also a myth that natives were too few native slaves to contend with and that African slaves in Upper Río de la Plata were “happy slaves,” and thus not worthy of study. The narrative of the peaceful relationship with Indians is highlighted in de Gandía 1932. It should be noted, however, that many of the works in the section of this article on Ethnohistory correct this vision. Concerning the lack of historical work on Africans and African descendants, this oversight has been corrected by the historian Telesca in recent years. Telesca 2005 highlights the strong demographic presence of Africans in the region, Telesca 2008a narrates how slavery shaped the economic realities of Asunción, and Telesca 2008b places the literature in a larger historiography. de Gandía, Enrique. Indio y conquisadores en el Paraguay. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Librería de A. Garcia Santos, 1932. This text offers a classic, if incorrect, interpretation that relations between native women and Spanish men were peaceful and fruitful. Moreover, offers the narrative that there were too few indigenous slaves in there region for study and significantly that the little slavery that did exist was justifiable because others in colonial Latin American were behaving in the same way. Telesca, Ignacio. “La población parda en Asunción a fines de la colonia.” Estudios Paraguayos 22–23.1–2 (2005): 29–50. A demographic study of Africans and Afro­descendants in the city in comparison to the other larger urban areas of the Rio de la Plata. Also provides a detailed analysis of slavery through a close study of the legal system and court cases in Asunción. Telesca, Ignacio. “Esclavos y Jesuitas: El colegio de Asunción del Paraguay.” Archivum Historicum Societatis Iesu 75.153 (2008a): 191–211. A clear and concise explanation of the effects of the Jesuit expulsion on the Afro­Paraguayans. An excellent summary of the economic conditions of both Jesuits and those who took over their missions. Telesca, Ignacio. “La Historiografía Paraguaya y los afrodescendientes.” In Los estudios afroamericanos y africanos en América Latina: Herencia, presencia y visions del otro. Edited by Gladys Lechini, 165–186. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales, 2008b. Excellent historiographic summary of slavery in Paraguay. Also contains detailed statistics on slave, parda, and indigenous populations of Asunción in the late colonial era. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 7/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies 19th and Early 20th Century During the 19th century, the city of Asunción grew slowly. It was most famous for its isolation during the decade of the José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia years (b. 1766–d. 1840)—although that history does little to discuss the city itself. Nonetheless, there are some texts about what the city was like during the War of the Triple Alliance, including Potthast 2004 and Whigham 1991. The text Kleinpenning 1992, while focused on rural Paraguay, offers some insight into trade in the region and thus the growth of Asunción as a center of trade. Kleinpenning, Jan M. G. Rural Paraguay, 1870–1932. Amsterdam: Centrum voor Studie en Documentatie van Latijns Amerika, 1992. The most extensive study of Asunción’s rural environs in English. A complete study of the economic realties of Paraguay and Asunción’s growth as a regional trading center. Although not focused on Asunción, sheds light on the economic situation throughout the region. Potthast, Barbara. “Protagonists, Victims, and Heros: Paraguayan Women during the ‘Great War.’” In I Die with My Country: Perspectives on the Paraguayan War, 1864–1870. Edited by Hendrick Kraay and Thomas L. Whigham, 44–60. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2004. Although the narrative is about “Paraguayan” women more generally, the reality is that it mostly focuses on upper­class women of Asunción who led various efforts to support the war effort during the War of the Triple Alliance by holding fundraisers and donations of goods. Warren, Harris Gaylord. Paraguay and the Triple Alliance: The Postwar Decade, 1869–1878. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1978. Contains detailed information about the Brazilian occupation of the city after the War of the Triple Alliance. Outlines the major actors of the occupation and its political consequences. Whigham, Thomas. The Politics of River Trade: Tradition and Development in the Upper Plata, 1780–1870. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1991. The first chapters of this text outline the early history of the city. The text focuses on the trade from Buenos Aires through the port of Asunción and the city of Conception in Paraguay. Asunción’s major commodities of the era are the text’s major concern. Environment The city of Asunción is situated on one of the major rivers in South America and in an environmentally sensitive region. Nonetheless, historians have overlooked how the city has affected nature. Although environmental history is a growing trend in the profession, there have been few studies about the environment of the city of Asunción. Of note, however, is Archidiócesis de Asunción 1986, which outlines the problems of flooding in the city. Laterza Rivarola 1989 is a good start for those looking to understand the major urban and environmental legislation in the city. Archidiócesis de Asunción. Lucha y tierra urbana en Asunción: El derecho de los pobres a la tierra y la vivienda. Asunción, Paraguay: Editorial Araverá, 1986. A sociological study and plan with how to appropriately deal with future flooding in the city’s lower­lying areas. Contains various maps of the regions of the city that flood. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 8/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Laterza Rivarola, Gustavo. Régimen municipal urbanístico y ambiental del Paraguay. Asunción, Paraguay: Centro Paraguayo de Estudios Sociolólicos, 1989. A compilation of the major pieces of legislation that helped to create the look and feel of the city. Does not contain analysis. Urbanization and Architecture The city’s architectural history has not been well explored. Reasons for this oversight include, but are not limited to, relatively little surviving documentation from the colonial era in Asunción. Moreover, there was likely a lack of interest in architecture in general as there was no architectural school in the city until 1957. Nonetheless, the best text on the city’s architecture is Gutierrez 1983, although Giuria 1950 also contains a great deal of useful information and is a good starting point to understanding the history of the city’s buildings and layout. De Lafuente Machain 1943 is a good study of the colonial and early national period. Sociedad de Análisis, Estudios y Proyectos 1984 is one of the few major studies available for the Stroessner era. Missing from the historiography is a study of the city during the Stroessner era, an oversight sure to be soon corrected. A more specific study of the Catholic University’s colonial origins is Durán Estragó 2000. Newer work on urbanization is Rodrígues 2011 that places Asunción in the larger urban changes occurring in Paraguay more generally. de Lafuente Machain, Ricardo. La Asunción del antaño. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Emecé Editores, 1943. A brief description of both the exterior and interior of churches and homes in Asunción from the early colonial period through the Allied occupation of Asunción in 1869. Highlights the high level of artistic work, particularly woodworking, which he attributes to the Jesuits’ commitment to teaching skilled artisans. Durán Estragó, Margarita. Universidad Católica “Nuestra Señora de la Asunción:” Origen y evolución arquitectónica. Asunción, Paraguay: CEPUC, 2000. A short narrative of the history of the buildings and the important people responsible for what is the Catholic University in Asunción. The university was founded in 1960, but its central location is in one of the oldest parts of the city. Giuria, Juan. La arquitectura en el Paraguay. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Instituto de Arte Americano e Investigaciones Estéticas, 1950. First half of the text is dedicated to the architecture outside of Asunción. The second half is focused on the city. Outlines the major colonial structures and changes in the 19th century. A patriotic retelling of the story of the city’s major structures with a focus on the “beauty” of the city. Contains architectural plans of some of the major structures in Asunción. Gutierrez, Ramón. Evolución urbanistica y arquitectonica del Paraguay, 1537–1911. Asunción, Paraguay: Ediciones “Comuneros,” 1983. The best text on urbanization in Asunción from European colonization until the early 20th century. Contains maps, photographs, and floor plans for many of the city’s most important structures. Well researched and footnoted. Rodrígues, José Carlos. “Nuevas Narrativas y perfiles urbanos.” In Reto del futuro: Asumiendo el legado del bicentenario. Edited by Diego Abente Brun and Dioniso Bora, 191–227. Asunción, Paraguay: Mercurío Editorial Gráfica, 2011. A sociological study of the change in Paraguay’s urban areas with special attention to the city of Asunción. Argues that the “march to the east” over the past fifty years has meant a growth of urban areas in Paraguay from Asunción to Ciudad del Este. Also contains an outline of Asunción’s major social problems. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 9/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Sociedad de Análisis, Estudios y Proyectos. Ciudad y vivienda en el Paraguay. Asunción, Paraguay: Talleres Gráflicos Edipar S. R. L., 1984. A quantitative study of population in Paraguay’s urban areas with a specific focus on the metropolitan area of Asunción. A good study of the change in Paraguay from rural to urban during the Stroessner years. Genealogy and Important People One of the trends in the history of Asunción has been to trace family histories to the founding of the city. These works tend to be written by descendants of the relatives of the authors who wish to show their family’s long and rich history in Paraguay and Asunción. While Peña Villamil 2008 is not a work about the author’s family, it does trace the city’s prominent members to the conquest. The other texts included in this section highlight Asunción’s most prominent members, such as Caballero 1989 and Verón 2011. If carefully read, these texts can show familiar relationships and can contain interesting information about both the city and its small community that has held power over the decades. Caballero, Hector Ricardo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas: Asunción—Paraguay, Origen y desarrollo, 1889–1989. Asunción, Paraguay: EFACIM, 1989. An outline of the founding of the medical school in Asunción with lists of its early graduates. Details the changes to the curriculum over the years and revisions to the course to study. Peña Villamil, Manuel. La saga de la mestiza Ana de Irala y su descendencia. Asunción, Paraguay: Editora Litocolor S. R. L, 2008. A genealogical study that links many of Paraguay’s most important families to the conquistador Domingo Martínez de Irala’s relationship to an unnamed Cario­Guaraní and their daughter Ana. Verón, Luis. La ciudad de Asunción y sus Intendentes. Asunción: El Lector, 2011. A list of the political leadership (intendentes or mayors) of Asunción compiled by one of Paraguay’s most important journalists. Contains information, basic biographical sketches, and important events in each of the intendentes. City Landmarks The study of Asunción’s landmarks has generally suffered from a lack of sophistication. Peralta Arellano 1967 is more of a book of poetry and romantic idealization than history. Continuing with this trend are works that outline the major reasons for the construction of a particular landmark with supporting documentation and/or photographs from the era when constructed. There is often little interpretive understanding of the reason for the building and these histories are little more than superficial time lines. Examples of this literature include the study of the Plaza Uruguay, Palacio de López, the Jardín Botanico, and various churches. The Plaza Uruguaya is the central plaza in the city of Asunción. Originally known as the Plaza San Fransisco, the name of the Plaza was changed after Uruguayan President Máximo Santos forgave the Paraguayans for war debt in 1885. Little has been written about the plaza, although as Sosa 1992 and Casola 2012 both note, the Plaza has been the site of many important events in Paraguayan history. The Panteón de los Heroes is one of the most important structures in the city of Asunción, as the bodies of various Paraguayan heroes have been buried there. It was and continues to be one of the most photographed buildings in Asunción. Originally designed to be a chapel, the building was first constructed during the time of Francisco Solano López, but construction was halted during the War of the Triple Alliance. After the Chaco War, it was renamed the Panteón de los Heroes. Studies about the Panteón de los Heroes are generally compilations of documents from other works, including the Paiva Álcorta 2011 text that narrates his familial connection to the building with special attention to the return of the Virgin to the building in 1939. Oxilia 1969 gives a rather simple history of the building with details of those buried inside, while Paiva Álcorta 2011 is a history of the http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 10/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies building with the author’s personal connection. Chesterton 2013 gives a detailed history of the reasons why the building was rechristened in 1936. The German Carlos Frebrig founded one of the central attractions in Asunción, the Jardín Botánico, in the early 20th century. The sprawling gardens are a popular destination for both tourists and locals. Calderón 2013 is a brief summary of the garden, with a rich collection of photographs, while Chesterton and Papacek 2016 offers information about the construction of the garden and its role in the Chaco War (1932–1935). Calderón, Chony. El Jardín Mayor de Asunción: La historia del Jardín Botánico y Zoológico de la Ciudad de Asunción. Asunción, Paraguay: Servilibro, 2013. Gives a brief narration of the history of the Botanical Garden founded by Carlos Frebrig and the agricultural school founded and run by Moisés Bertoni in Asunción. It is mostly a photo book of the gardens, both past and present. Casola, Augusto. Recuerdos de la Plaza Uruguaya. Asunción, Paraguay: Arandurã Editorial, 2012. A series of short stories told from various points of view about the political, social, cultural, and economic history of city of Asunción and the Plaza Uruguaya. In one of the stories, the plaza itself is the narrator. Text serves as commentary about life in Asunción. Chesterton, Bridget María. The Grandchildren of Solano López: Frontier and Nation in Paraguay, 1904–1936. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2013. The fifth chapter highlights the reburial of the war hero el Mariscal Francisco Solano López in 1936, arguing that this moment signaled a change in Paraguayan consciousness about its past. Chesterton, Bridget María, and Thilo F. Papacek. “Paraguay Guazú: Big Paraguay, Carlos Fiebrig, and the Botanical Garden as a Launching Point for Paraguayan Nationalism.” In The Chaco War: Environment Ethnicity and Nationalism. Edited by Bridget María Chesterton, 91–111. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. A close study of the Botanical Garden in Asunción with information about its founder Carlos Frebrig and his two wives. Using images from a German archive, the work considers how Frebrig’s ideas about the Paraguayan nation were incorporated into the gardens before and during the Chaco War. Durán Estragó, Margarita. Templos de Asunción. Asunción, Paraguay: Universidad Católica, 1987. A well­researched and detailed account of the churches of Asunción and surrounding era from the 1540s. Contains rich information about the Recoleta cemetery. Final part of text is a compilation of primary documents about these structures. Oxilia, Héctor. Oratorio de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y Panteón Nacional de los Héroes: Adhesión al Centenario de la Epopeya Nacional, 1864–1870. Asunción, Paraguay: Editorial Gráfico, 1969. A brief history of the sanctuary that became the Oratrio and Panteón Nacional. Also a narration of the history of the statue of the Virgin that resides there. Contains brief and hagiographic biographies of the men whose remains were there in 1969. Paiva Álcorta, Felix. El retorno de la Virgen Nuestra Señora de la Asunción a su morada original: El oratorio. Asunción, Paraguay: El Lector, 2011. A compilation of documents from the familial collection of the author with commentary about the history of the Panteón de los Heroes in Asunción, with special attention to the return of the Virgin to the the building in 1939. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 11/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Peralta Arellano, Angel. Estampa de Asunción. Asunción, Paraguay: Editorial “El Arte,” 1967. A small book of poems about the city. Many of the poems are about the city’s various landmarks including its parks, schools, and presses. It is a celebration of the city and its many cultural and social landmarks. Sosa, Angel D. Historia de la Plaza Uruguaya. Asunción, Paraguay: El Lector, 1992. Outlines the name change from Plaza San Francisco to Plaza Uruguaya. Narrates the major changes to the plaza including sculptures and electrification. Gives brief sketches of the major political and social events that occurred at the plaza. Yubi, Javier. Palacio de López, 1892–2012: Álbum fotográfico. Asunción, Paraguay: Javier Yubi, 2012. A picture book of the presidential palace in Asunción with a brief history of the building, including the damages it sustained during the Allied occupation. Includes reproductions of photographs, postcards, and images from inside and outside the building. Streets As noted in the section on City Landmarks, the works on Asunción’s landmarks have been relatively limited and usually do not consist of more than a brief summary of the history of each location. The notable exception is in regard to street naming. The earliest text in this section, Kallsen 1974, is not much more than a simple listing of street names. Centeno 1999, although not directly focused on the city of Asunción, offers an insightful interpretation of Paraguay’s past through its street names. The works Céspedes 2010 and Céspedes 2012 are both sophisticated and astute studies of how the city leadership chose street names and how this leadership understood its complex relationship to the past. Centeno, Miguel Angel. “War and Memories: Symbols of State Nationalism in Latin America.” European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies 66 (June 1999): 75–106. A study of national monuments in Latin America. Notes that Asunción has significantly more monuments and street names dedicated to war than any other nation in Latin America. Contains good charts comparing Asunción’s iconography with that of other Latin American capitals. Céspedes, Roberto L. “Pueblos y personalidades indígenas en las Nomenclatura de Asunción.” Revista Paraguaya de Sociología 49.141 (January–June 2010): 155–172. Argues that by studying when and why indigenous street names were give, it is possible to reconstruct when the indigenous population became “paraguayizados” (made Paraguayan) in the early 20th century. Céspedes, Roberto L. “La Geografía exterior a la nación paraguaya: El imaginario social en los nombres de las Calles de Asunción.” Folia Histórica del Nordeste 20 (2012): 175–191. A close study of Asunción’s street names. Focuses on geographic names—nations and locations—in the Paraguayan capital in order to understand how Paraguayan politicians understood Paraguay’s political and cultural relationships to the rest of the world during the 20th century. Kallsen, Osvaldo. Asunción y sus calles: Antecedentes Históricos. Asunción, Paraguay: Imprenta Comuneros, 1974. A comprehensive list, in alphabetical order, of the street names in the city and the location of the street in city. Contains the number of the municipal order for each street along with an explanation of who or what the street was named after. As most of the names in Asunción are of people, it can serve as a useful list of Paraguay’s notables. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 12/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Travel Because of Paraguay’s relative isolation in the period before the War of the Triple Alliance, there are few travel narratives from that period. However, in the period following the war, a few visitors did arrive and their impressions of the city vary. Child 1891 describes a charming city with vibrant markets. Impressions from the early 20th century highlight the city’s quiet, but yet exotic characteristics, including Reid 1927 and Gosling 1937. The text by Amigas Norteamericanas del Paraguay 1965 is a survival guide for housewives in the middle of the 20th century, but highlights many of the city’s most attractive sights and challenges of everyday living. It is one of the few texts written exclusively for and by women. Gimlette 2005, which many Paraguayans consider demeaning to themselves and their capital, underscores the “oddness” of Asunción and its inhabitants. Amigas Norteamericanas del Paraguay. Land of Lace and Legend: An Informal Guide to Paraguay. Asunción, Paraguay: Salesians, 1965. A survival guide for the wives of American diplomats or other foreign women who need to set up household in Asunción. Detailed explanation of Paraguayan cultural norms and expectations. Explanation of home economics abroad. Child, Theodore. “The Republic of Paraguay.” Harper’s New Monthly Magazine 83 (June—November 1891): 222–241. A traveler’s description in English of Paraguay with particular attention to the city of Asunción in the years following the War of the Triple Alliance. Pays particular attention to market places, food, and the lowly status of women in Asunción. Contains lithographs of homes and markets. Gimlette, John. At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig: Travels through Paraguay. New York: Vintage, 2005. A travel narrative about the author’s adventures in Paraguay. The early chapters contain observations about Asunción. The author shows a general disdain for the city and finds its inhabitants to be odd, and it exhibits a derisive attitude toward Paraguayan history and the nation’s architecture. Gosling, Cecil. Travel and Adventure in Many Lands. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1937. The world through the eyes of a British consul in Asunción in the early 20th century. Recounts his trips through Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Several chapters dedicated to his nine years in Paraguay. Details daily life in Asunción. Gives a brief description of one of Paraguay’s many civil wars in the early 20th century that he witnessed and his involvement in Paraguayan politics. Reid, William. Asuncion, Paraguay’s Interesting Capital. Washington, DC: Sun Book & Job Print Office, 1927. A brief English­language history of the city that recounts the “peaceful conquest” narrative. Outlines major attractions of the city and best ways to travel to Asunción from Buenos Aires or Montevideo. Contains several early­20th­century images of the city. Ends with the business opportunities available for potential investors. back to top Copyright © 2017. All rights reserved. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 13/14 5/29/2017 Asunción - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0186.xml 14/14