Founded in 1537, Asunción was the first capital in post-colonisation South America, this is why Asunción is known as “The Mother of Cities”.
After Paraguay broke free from Spain’s domination, it soon became the fastest growing and constructed area in South America, along with Buenos Aires and São Paulo. Francisco Solano López, then Ambassador for Paraguay before Europe, hired the best architects, stonemasons, etc, and these artists created architectural wonders that we still have in the old streets of Downtown Asunción.