San Estanislao
Encyclopedia
San Estanislao de Kostka (usually referred to as San Estanislao or, more commonly, Santaní) is a city and district in the department of San Pedro, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

.

History

San Estanislao was founded on November 13, 1749 by Father Sebastián de Yegros, a Jesuit priest from Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...

. The town was originally founded as Jesuit mission with the goal of converting the surrounding Indian population.

The city is named for a Polish priest who was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII
Pope Benedict XIII
-Footnotes:...

 on November 13, 1726, 23 years before San Estanislao was founded.

Santaní, as the city is commonly referred to locally and throughout Paraguay, is a contraction of the word for saint in Spanish ("san") and the word for Estanislao in Guaraní
Guaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...

 ("taní"). People from Santaní are referred to as "santanianos" in Spanish.

In 1869, during the Triple Alliance War, San Estanislao was briefly the seat of the national government under Marshall Francisco Solano López
Francisco Solano López (politician)
Francisco Solano López Carrillo was president of Paraguay from 1862 until his death in 1870. He was officially the eldest son of president Carlos Antonio López, whom he succeeded...

. Following battles elsewhere in Paraguay, López and several of his regiments passed through the city. López governed from the city from August 23–31, 1869.

Immigration to San Estanislao

Around 1880, San Estanislao became home to immigrants both from other parts of Paraguay and from Europe, especially from Germany and Italy. The influence of the Italian immigrants, in particular, can still be seen today in various buildings in Italian styles and the last names of some of the oldest Santaniana families.

Decades later, around 1920, Santaní also received immigrants from Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

. After arriving to Itacurubí del Rosario
Itacurubí del Rosario
Itacurubí del Rosario is a town in the San Pedro department of Paraguay.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...

, some of the new arrivals made their way to Santaní. Other countries that sent relatively large numbers of immigrants to the city were France, Portugal, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, and Spain.

Economy

During the postwar period after 1870, Santaní and the surrounding countryside were sustained mostly through agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

 and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...

. Tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...

 was the major crop, and its production and packaging for export were a main contributor of jobs.

Today, the primary economic activity continues to be agriculture (especially cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

, mandioca, soy, and sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....

). Beef and milk production, forestry, commerce, and regional services (medical treatment, banking, and construction) also contribute to the city's economy.

Education

San Estanislao is home to schools ranging from primary- to university-level, both public and private.

In 1994, a College of Economic Sciences was established in the city as part of the UNA
Universidad Nacional de Asunción
The Universidad Nacional de Asunción, abbreviated UNA, is a public university in Paraguay. Founded in 1889, it is the oldest and most traditional university in the country.In 2006, there were 36,000 students and 5,500 professors.- Organization :...

. There are more than 10 universities in downtown Santani.

Transportation

Travel time between San Estanislao and Asunción (232 km away) was greatly reduced with the inauguration of Route 3
Route 3 (Paraguay)
National Route 3 is a highway in Paraguay, which runs from Asunción to one of the northern cities in the Oriental Region, Bella Vista. It crosses the Capital District and 5 departments...

in May 2004. Buses leave the terminal to Asuncion every half an hour.

Night Life

Santani is a college town, and its many Plaza's come to life after 9pm when students get out of class. Sidewalk cafes serve pizza and beer from 6pm-12am and hamburger stands in the plaza stay open all night. It is common for people to cruise the strip on their slowly on their motorcycles, beer in hand and music blasting. There is one karaoke bar called "La Rustica" which turns into a dance club after 12 or 12:30am. The bartender/DJ plays everything from cumbia to reggeton to Brazilian music and reggae.
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