Asunción is the capital city of Paraguay and one of the oldest cities in South America.
Spanish explorer Juan de Salazar y Espinosa founded a fort at the site on 15 August 1537, naming it Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción after the Catholic Feast of the Assumption. A municipal cabildo was established in 1541, formally giving the settlement city status.
Asunción became known as the “Mother of Cities” because Spanish expeditions launched from there to establish other settlements across the Río de la Plata region, including later foundations of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Corrientes and Córdoba. Its position on the Paraguay River made it an important colonial transport and administrative center.
A common mix-up is confusing Asunción with Paraguay’s metropolitan area, Greater Asunción. The city itself is an autonomous capital district, while the surrounding metropolitan region includes neighboring municipalities and more than two million residents.