Founding of Asunción in 2025

When is the Founding of Asunción?

The Founding of Asunción is a public holiday in Paraguay on August 15th each year.

It commemorates the founding of Asunción, the capital of Paraguay on this day in 1537.

History of the Founding of Asunción

Spanish conquistadors first reached this area while exploring northwards up the Paraguay River. Juan de Salazar y Espinosa was sent with several ships up the river to look for a missing explorer. During the search de Salazar set up camp on the left bank of the river. He thought it was a good location and founded a settlement on August 15th 1537. He named it Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción ('Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption' as August 15th is the Feast of the Assumption in the Roman Catholic Church.

This made Asunción one of the oldest cities in South America, which is why it is known as "the Mother of Cities". In 1541 Buenos Aires was evacuated after an attack by the Pampa Indians. The inhabitants of Buenos Aires fled to Asunción and it became the headquarters of Spanish colonial activities in eastern South America before Buenos Aires was refounded. In 1588. In that time, Asunción proved to be an important base from which later expeditions departed to found other cities in the region including the second foundation of Buenos Aires.