Argentine minister for tourism, Gustavo Santos, opened the route at a ceremony in the ruins of the Jesuit mission at San Ignacio Miní in north-western Argentina. He said that he hoped the route will be of interest to all you wish to enjoy his country’s cultural heritage, not merely pilgrims. The route also caters for the growing demand for religious tours in and around Argentina, the birth place of Pope Francis - who himself joined the Jesuit order in 1958.

The San Ignacio Miní mission was founded in the 17th century by Jesuits. It was one of the so called reductions, communal mission villages where indigenous peoples were gathered in order to convert them to Christianity, but also to protect them from slavers. At the height of activity, around the year 1730, some 4,000 people lived in San Ignacio Miní. In 1984 the ruins were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ruins of other Jesuit reductions can also be found in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. These three countries along with Argentina have all worked together to create the new Jesuit mission route.

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