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The Jesuits established their missions or “reducciones” in South America in XVI c., most of them were founded on the area of present Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
Using Guaraní Indian they labour they flourished achieving economic and military power but on the other hand they protected Guarani from the raids of the slave-hunters from Brazil. This kind of evangelisaton was special – they put into practice Christian precepts, isolated Guarani from bad influences of the Europeans and developed the creativity of the Indios. The "reducciones" were centres of the community life, ususally around big church were concentrated college, churchyard, houses of Indios and priests, gardens and cementary.
In the middle of the XVII c. Jesuits became too powerful for Spain and Portugal so mailitary forces were send from Europa to attack the missions. Jesuits were expelled from South America and their convent was unbound.
All that remains today are the magnificent ruins of reducciones. Trinidad is one of the most beautiful but quite rarely visited places found on the list of UNESCO World Heritage.