| Atyrá | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Atyrá | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Paraguay | ||
| Department | Cordillera | ||
| Founded | 1538 | ||
| Founder | Domingo Martínez de Irala | ||
| Government | |||
| • Intendente municipal | Pastor Alberto Vera Bejarano (PLRA) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 160 km2 (61.8 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 95 m (312 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 15,278 | ||
| • Density | 70/km2 (181.3/sq mi) | ||
| Postal code | 3280 | ||
| Area code(s) | (595) (520) | ||
Atyra is an old city of Paraguay, 61 kilometers from the country's capital, Asunción. Located in the Altos Cordillera, it is part of the Cordillera Department.
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Atyrá was initially named Atyhá, founded by the governor Domingo Martínez de Irala in 1538. The word "Atyhá" is of Guaraní origin. It used to be a village of the natives and it was called that way because it was the place of meeting of its members.
Located in the Altos Cordillera, the landscape of the city has great extensions of rocks that form undulations.
To the North: the city of Arroyos y Esteros To the North-East: Loma Grande To the South: Tobatí To the West: Altos To the South-East: limits with San Bernardino and Ypacarai
The climate is mild and dry. The average temperature is 22°C, reaching in the summer 39°C and in winter dropping to 3°C.
The Atyra's population is 15.278 inhabitants, 8.004 men and 7.274 women, according to the projections of the Statistics, Polls and Census General Direction (2008).
The population density is 70 inhabitants per kilometer.
Most of the housings in Atyra are modern, but a few are left that date from the 19th century, those show the architecture and details of the typical constructions of that time during the Colony, so there can be found houses with ceilings of hay and surrounded by trees and palms typical of the area.
The city is divided in an urban and a rural area. In the urban are the following neighborhoods:
In the rural area are these localities:
The governor Domingo Martínez de Irala found it in 1539. The act of foundation was made under the shadow of three Yvapovó plants, in place that the natives used as a place of meeting, from this came the name "Atyhá" that finally became "Atyrá". In 1580, Franciscan Missioners led by Alonso de San Buenaventura and Fray Luis de Bolaños, made the religious foundation of the localities: Altos, Atyrá, Tobatí and Yaguarón.
The church of Atyrá is nowadays a Museum of Sacred Art that exhibits beautiful cravings in wood made by the natives since 1580, with a Baroque Hispano-Guaraní style.
The building of the church started towards 1782, impelled by the Priest Almada, who also made his the responsibility of encouraging the population of the city to develop some mechanic and artisan abilities.
The church was remodeled in 1852 by command of the President of Paraguay at that time, Carlos Antonio López. This temple was replaced in 1928, for the building that stands these days.
Since that moment, the town developed and grew around the church, as was traditional with most of the towns in Paraguay throughout its history. Three of four walls of the building served as the start of the new construction, the wall that face southeast does not present any sign of there being built more edifice.
The church is not located in the epicenter of the city; it is actually displayed more like the perspective of an avenue, as if it was the beginning or the end of the city. In its interior, it keeps the altar built in the 18th century and the statues that represent the Virgin De Los Dolores, Saint Francis, Saint Lucía, Virgin De La Candelaria, María Auxiliadora, and Saint Catalina, among others, all created under the teaching of the Franciscan Missioners.
The population of the city dedicates mostly to agriculture and cattle. But it also has oil factories and sawmills. The production of the oil comes from the industrialization of coconut.
The people of the city also maintain the continuity of the artisan characteristics of the Colonial time, specially the work in saddlery.
This city is known by the artisan work in leather and fabric the people of the city make. The artisans also work in the creation of wood objects. The production is exposed in a permanent market installed in the middle of the city.
On October 4 is celebrated the religious holiday of Saint Francis of Asís, Patron Saint of the city.
One of the richest stories of the paraguayan folklore has its origin in Atyrá. It is the story of the Indio José, who found himself trapped during a violent inundation in the area and begged for help to the Virgin of the Immaculate Concepcion. He received a miracle, found a tree to climb on in the Zanja Hú Hill and saved his life. The Indio José had promised the Virgen to carve an image for her, so he did, and that same image is now part of the altar in the religious center of Paraguay, the Caacupé Basilic.
One of the most interesting activities the artisans make is the carving of wood, which is the second most important activity of the city. These objects in wood are very well known and appreciated by the citizens of Atyrá and the entire country, as well as some nearby countries. This artisan activity started in times of the Colony, when the Franciscan Missioners thought the natives. The tradition still lives in the population of the city, and keeps growing and perfecting with every generation. The usual themes for doing the carvings in wood are saints, mythological creatures, animals and some more.
Another remarkable craftsmanship is work in leather. Many families work the leather and make bags, backpacks, shoes, belts, saddles, and others.
The city has a "Casa de la Cultura" (House of Culture), which displays the work made by the artisans of the city.
Atyrá has a rich variety of fauna and flora, especially in the area of Zanja Hú. It has several streams that are apt for swimming and practicing water sports. Carumbey means "Turtle’s stream".
Atyrá is known as the "Cleanest city of Paraguay", the seventh most clean in America and the eighth healthiest community in the world, certificated by the World Health Organization. It also was declared "Ecological Capital of Paraguay", by a government decree.
This accomplishment is due to the Municipality's initiative that has sponsored the protection of the environment and the ecological preservation among its inhabitants. This effort of the municipality and the population is noticed in the cleanliness of the city's streets.