Statue of María Auxiliadora

Also worth visiting.

Beautifully restored in 2008 and housed in the Mansión Otaño, one of the beautiful historic manors dating back to the early 20th century, the museum houses a surprisingly good collection of Paraguayan contemporary art including works by Ricardo Migliorisi, Carlos Colombino and Ofelia Olmedo. There is also a collection of drawings by well known indigenous artists Ogwa and Pitoé. The excellent quality of the collection is due to the fact that the museum was founded by renowned Paraguayan artist and Concepción native Carlos Colombino.

In the former Teatro Municipal, an elegant yellow and grey building one block to the east of the Municipalidad. The museum's highlight is a series of paintings depicting many of the architectural gems of Concepcion's heyday, a number of which are still recognizable today. There is also a painting depicting the old port of Concepción from 1890. In the five rooms of the museum there are miscelaneous old objects of the city historical periods. Some interesting old objects include pre-Columbian indigenous pots, a grand piano and an old printing press. Also in the same building is the City Public Library. You can request the museum's Director if he could provide for a guided walking tour of Concepción historic building if his schedule permits.

The building was built in 1898 and houses the city's municipal offices. It sits in the center of the block surrounded on all sides by pretty gardens. Inside there are two very large and fine oil paintings, one shows the founding of Concepción by the Spaniard Agustín Fernando de Pinedo; the other shows the battle of Nanawa, a victory of Paraguay over Bolivia during the 1932-35 Chaco War.

Right next to the Cathedral with a collection of religious objects like silverware used in the religious cult, many of such pieces go back to the Hispanic colonial period of Paraguay and others correspond to the period of great economic boom of the city. There are also ancient religious vestments, old documents, objects of personal use of the priests, portraits, watercolors and views of the different churches. Around 700 objects of great religious and artistic value.

The cathedral is a tall and striking building in yellow and white, not old but classical in style and with clean, elegant lines. Its construction began in 1960 after the collapse of a large part of the old church and the demolition of what remained of it. The works concluded in 1968 and in December of that year the inauguration of the new church took place. Inside you can find a holy water font carved in pink marble. The wooded altarpiece depicting the empty tomb with angels and soldiers is the work of Concepción-born artist Carlos Colombino, who specialises in wood creations. Other works of art inside the cathedral include a painting of the Virgin of Chestokowa, a gift of Pope John Paul II to the Diocese of Concepción.