Across central Asuncion colourful murals have been painted. They are large artworks covering the sides of buildings and roadside walls.

Throughout central Asuncion there are many fine colonial buildings. Unfortunately many of them have seen better days. Often they cry out for a little restoration and a fresh coat of paint.

Dealing citywide with all the fine old buildings would require a large amount of time and money. The funds to do the work is not something that is available to the local authorities.

However on the whole the the old buildings are structurally sound. They are not about to crumble to dust. As such full restorations can wait until both the funds and the workmen are availble.

Years ago walking around central Asuncion I would be presented with am endless stream of grime encrusted buildings. it is clear that I was not the only one who thought something should be done about the state of the old buildings. And felt that even without proper restorations something could be done to brighten them up.

Accordingly several years ago I noticed that large painted murals had started to appear. These artworks covered the whole sides of buildings adding colour to the streets around them.

They are all well painted and now appear on many buildings across central Asuncion. As well as buildings murals have also been painted roadside walls and even metal store shutters.

These bright, colourful paintings depict a number of themes and images. Often the mural reflects either the building it is painted on, or the area in which it is. For example from street level to rooftop pool the is a mural painted on the side of the Chaco Hotel. This depicts a flyer from the time of the Chaco War and a 1930s aircraft.

A large number of the murals depict the culture and history of Paraguay. Either human or its fauna and flora.

There are several paintings showing the native Guarani people. Their costume, their lifestyle and their environment. The Guarani more than the Spanish are looked upon as the forefathers of the Paraguayans. As such their culture is considered central to the Paraguayan identity.

Murals of the Guarani show them variously as brave hunters, as a people knowledgeable of the local plants and environment, and as homemakers. It is not by coincidence that a mural of a Guarani woman harvesting crops is painted above the entrance to a shopping center.

Another common theme is the wildlife of Paraguay. Vivid portraits of parrots, crocodiles and jaguars stare out from walls to the passers by.

Additionally some of the murals depict more contemporary scenes. There are images such as the flyer mentioned above the show historical figures. The names of whom will be know to most who see them.

Even modern day activities are shown. Running along one wall is a painting of a group of men in contemporary dress throwing wood onto a bonfire. The is a reference to the festival of San Jaun which is held across the country every June.

There are a small number of murals that do not display such clear imagery. They are more abstract in design. Often they are also smaller art works. For example towards the bottom of Calle Palma, the principal shopping street, two metal store fronts have been painted.

These are of course only visible when the stores are closed. When they can be seen they show two heavily stylized faces. Painted in bright colours and shaped to fit the square doorways the depict nothing in nature. Instead they are purely works of art. There are a number of similar murals scattered across the city.

With all these murals to be found across the city center it is possible for the attentive walker to learn much about Paraguay simply be looking at their surroundings.

And additionally whilst the restoration of the bulk of the colonial buildings is still far off much of the dirt has been cleared away and Asuncion has become a bright and colourful city to explore.