Iglesia de la Encarnación

The Iglesia de la Encarnación occupies one of Asunción's seven historic hills, known as Loma Volo Cué. The current church succeeded several earlier sites of the parish — up to six different locations throughout its history — including the old Convento de Santo Domingo, destroyed by a fire in the early hours of January 4, 1889.

Construction of the current building began on August 27, 1893, under the direction of Italian architect Giovanni Colombo. Although the work was left unfinished — it was never completed according to the original design — it was inaugurated anyway in 1912. Its design follows the model of European Renaissance cathedrals, in Romanesque-Corinthian style, with a Latin-cross floor plan, a central nave, and four side aisles (two on each side), making it Asunción's only church with a basilica floor plan; its twelve columns represent the twelve apostles.

During the Chaco War (1932-1935) the building served as a field hospital. It was declared a National Historic Monument by Law 53 of 1992. The church has one of only two existing pipe organs in Paraguay.