Maps and battlefields

Church of San Carlos, Humaitá

The ruins that still look out over the river.

Church of San Carlos, Humaitá
The ruins of the church of San Carlos, at Humaitá.
Inauguration
1 January 1861
Commissioned by
Carlos Antonio López; dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo
Protection
Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Nation (Law 6273 of 2019)
Today
Part of the façade still stands; a new church was built behind it

Carlos Antonio López had the church built next to the fortress. According to Última Hora, it was designed by Francisco Wisner de Morgenstern and built by the Italian Alejandro Ravizza; its towers also served as a military observation post. During the siege, the allied artillery reduced the church to ruins.

The National Secretariat of Culture declared the site cultural heritage in 2018, and in February 2019 Law 6273 declared the ruins Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Nation. In 2023 the press warned of major cracks and a risk of collapse.

◊ Reconstruction.There are no photographs of the intact church. The virtual reconstruction shown at the site, by the architects Mateo and Eduardo Nakayama, is a hypothesis.

Sources: Última Hora, “Humaitá, el fantasma de ladrillo que aún vigila el río Paraguay” (2026); Law 6273 of 2019, Biblioteca y Archivo del Congreso Nacional; ABC Color, “Las ruinas de Humaitá, en peligro de derrumbe” (2023).

Open in the illustrated encyclopedia ›

Guerra Guasu Collection · by José Báez · Free for everyone · Home · Privacy