Pilar (Spanish pronunciation: [piˈlaɾ]) is the capital city of the Paraguayan department of Ñeembucú, located along the Paraguay River in the southwestern part of the country. Located about 258 km (160 mi) from Asunción, Pilar serves as an important center of commerce and government for the far southwestern region of the country.

It was founded by order of the governor-intendant Pedro Melo of Portugal on October 12, 1779 with the name of Villa del Ñeembucú. Four years later it was called Villa del Pilar, a name it owes to the Spanish priest Marcial Antonio Uliambre, originally from Zaragoza, where the Virgin of Pilar is venerated.

According to the historian Benigno García Riquelme (cited by Mazó, 2012), in the first days of the month of October of the year 1779, some neighbors interested in populating the new town had left Asunción, and although the date of the founding is not known with certainty of Villa Nuestra Señora del Pilar, is celebrated on October 12, in honor of the Pilarica, of Zaragoza, Spain.

It was originally founded as Villa del Ñeembucú, by the then Governor-Intendant of the Province of Paraguay, Pedro Mello de Portugal y Villena, with fundamental strategic purposes, since it served as a troop station for constant surveillance of the Paraguay River. By Royal Decree of February 1, 1784, the population of Nuestra Señora del Pilar took the name of Villa, and according to a census of the time, its population was 2,355 inhabitants. (Viré and Martínez Fretes, 2014 p. 91). It is attributed to having given the name of Pilar to the new Villa and its dedication to the Virgin of Pilar to the parish chaplain Marcial Antonio Uliambre, a native of Zaragoza (Spain) (Acosta, 2015) From the Book: Atlas - Tourist of the Ñeembucú

It is derived from a phrase that Marshal Francisco Solano López constantly mentioned on every trip he made to the city of Pilar, where he visited his beloved Juanita Pesoa. Asked about Mariscal López's travel destination, he replied; "I'm going to see my Pearl of the South."

Hence the nickname PILAR The Pearl of the South!!

Pilar was founded by Pedro Melo de Portugal on October 12, 1779. The original name of the settlement was Villa del Ñeembucú, named for the nearby Arroyo Ñeembucú that flows into the Paraguay River. Four years later it was renamed Villa del Pilar by Spanish priest Marcial Antonio Uliambre, for the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Spanish: Catedral-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar) in his hometown of Zaragoza.

During the events that led to the Independence of Paraguay, Captain Blás José Roxas de Aranda was in Pilar with a contingent of men to prevent the governor-intendant Bernardo de Velasco from escaping from the province, if he arrived by ship to the south. along the Paraguay River.

During the government of Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, the Port of Pilar was one of the few authorized in all of Paraguay for foreign trade, mainly marketing yerba mate and cotton.

According to local oral tradition, in the building of the Cabildo de Pilar, Francisco Solano López, when he was still a colonel, pronounced the words: The sacred insignia of my country will never fall from my hands.

During the war against the Triple Alliance, two battles took place in the then Villa del Pilar, the Combate de Pilar (1867) on September 20, 1867, where the Cavalry Regiment No. 2 Col. is today located. Felipe Toledo; and a skirmish on October 27 of the same year, in the middle of the town. Years after the war, when the Brazilians left the country in 1877, the bell tower of the current Minor Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar rang its bells for several hours, in order to capture this historical fact.

In 1930 Paolo Federico Alberzoni installed his textile complex, the current Manufactura de Pilar SA. Later he expanded his plant to provide electricity to the city.

In the Paraguayan civil war of 1947, Pilar and Concepción were the two largest cities to fall first to the rebels.

For many years, until the government of Alfredo Stroessner, the Port of Pilar was the most important in the south, and an entry port to the country.

In 1983 a flood occurred that left practically the entire city under water. To protect it from future floods, the city has a system of retaining walls, locks and pumping plants. The walls make up the Costanera de Pilar.

In 2000, the paving of Route IV Gral. José Eduvigis Díaz, today PY04, was completed; since then the city was no longer isolated from the country due to rain. Route PY19 that connects Pilar with Villeta is also paved.

In addition to the Ñeembucú, other streams adjacent to the City of Pilar are the San Lorenzo and the Montuoso. The hydrography of the area offers landscapes around the city of Pilar, with optimal opportunities for fishing and spas.

It does not have orographic features, but the city is surrounded by embankment-type retaining walls, to avoid flooding due to the overflows of the Paraguay River, and the Ñeembucú and San Lorenzo Streams, other smaller streams, and some estuaries, during the flood season. of these. They have heights that range from 10 to 15 meters high, with respect to the depths of the latter, with more than 7,500 meters in length.

Among the exterior walls are:

Wall of the San Lorenzo stream-Río Paraguay-Manufactura (approximately 3450m in length). Set of walls connected from the San Lorenzo stream, passing along the banks of the Paraguay River and ending at the Pilar SA Manufacture (on the Ñeembucú stream) Wall of the 12 de Octubre Neighborhood (1100 m approx.) Wall of the Obrero Este neighborhood (1000 m approx.) Wall of the San José neighborhood (425 m approx.) Wall of the Obrero Norte neighborhood (350 m approx.) Among the interior walls are:

Wall of the Nuestra Señora del Carmen neighborhood (590 m approx.) Walls of the Havõ stream (approximately 400 m on both banks), it is the only wall shorter than 5 meters existing in the city. It is located inside the 12 de Octubre neighborhood Wall of the Las Residentas or Conavi Sur neighborhood (240 m approx.) The retaining walls of the 12 de Octubre neighborhood on the Ñeembucú stream have currently become a waterfront that bears the name of Carlos Migue Jiménez; which covers more than 1,100 meters in length.

Situated near the confluence of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers, Pilar is in a region of the country with many small streams, rivers and wetlands that contribute to a humid climate. The average annual temperature is 22 °C (72 °F). Summer temperatures can reach as high as 40 °C (104 °F), and it winter it drops to as low as −3 °C (27 °F). The rainy months are January, March, April and October; the dryer are May and August. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).

In the area there are countless estuaries, streams and rivers that contribute to the cool and humid climate. The average temperature of the apartment is 22 °C, the maximum temperature can range between 37 and 40 °C, the minimum between 4 and 0 °C. The rainiest months are January, March, April and October, the driest are May and August.

Pilar has 34,741 inhabitants in total, according to official data from the 2022 Paraguayan census. This Paraguayan city is home to a notable community of descendants of Italians.

Pilar has a total population of 32,810, with 14,298 men and 15,030 women, according to information provided by the General Directorate of Statistics, Polls and Census.

The municipal government is in charge of the Municipal Administration and the Municipal Board, as established in article 20 of the Municipal Organic Law (LOM). The Municipality is made up of the Mayor and the different administrative agencies of the municipality. The Mayor has responsibility for the general management of the district and is directly elected by the citizens for a period of 5 years. As for the councilors, who are part of the Municipal Board, they serve for 5 years, with the possibility of re-election, and their role is limited to acting as a deliberative and legislative body of the local government. In accordance with article 24 of the aforementioned law, the number of councilors of each municipality is determined according to the budget assigned by the State to the respective jurisdiction.

The management of the city is carried out by the municipality, which operates under a structure similar to that of the national government: the Mayor performs a function comparable to that of the executive branch, while the Municipal Board acts as a legislative and regulatory body. The latter has the responsibility of developing and approving laws or ordinances, which are local regulations whose application is mandatory within the limits of the municipality. Within the framework of municipal government, three types of administrative acts are identified: Municipal Ordinance, Regulation and Resolution.

The ordinances are general regulations that are approved by the Board and promulgated by the Mayor, in order to establish rights, responsibilities and restrictions both for the inhabitants of the district and for people who, for various reasons, are in the jurisdiction. . The proposal of these projects is achieved through a consensus between the members of the Board, the Mayor and, in some cases, through the participation of citizens. They have the status of local law, which implies that their application is exclusive to the municipality, but they must be in line with national legislation approved by Congress. On the other hand, the regulations are general internal rules issued by the Board or the Mayor, with the purpose of organizing and regulating the different administrative agencies of the municipality. Finally, resolutions are measures that apply to specific situations or cases, whether for specific individuals or groups, and can be issued by both the Board and the Mayor.

It was implemented accordingly in the Cabildo and with the first neighborhood association formed in 1779.

The neighborhood councils had civil power, exercising representation of the people and great influence over the military protection.

In 1824, by decree of the government of Dr. José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, all councils were abolished and the city was governed by a Delegate; After Dr. Francia died, the towns were governed by the so-called Municipal Bodies, which also administered justice.

After the War of the Triple Alliance, the residents of Pilar organized themselves again, as at the beginning, forming the Neighborhood Council which they called the “Administrative Economic Council”, made official and named on July 5, 1872. The First Meeting was formed on July 19, 1872 and was chaired by Lorenzo Jiménez until 1874. Successive Government decrees appointed authorities of this Economic Board:

Year	First and last names	Duration/ years
1874	José del Rosario Brítez	1 year
1875	Martin Blanco	1 year
1876	Martin Blanco	3 years
1879	José de la Cruz Gómez	1 year
1880	Inocencio Cabrera	3 years
1883	Ignacio Granada	1 year

In 1884 the people elected their municipal authorities, by casting their votes, then elected as President: Antonio dos Santos. Duration: 3 years.

In 1887, the second municipal election was held; curiously, this civic event resulted in a tie, leading to a judicial solution and the Presidency falling to Inocencio Talavera. Duration: 4 years.

Year	First and Last Names	Duration/ years
1891	Pedro J Vargas	2 years
1893	Fortuoso Piola	1 year
1894	Jose M Delfino	2 years
1896	Fermin Silva	3 years
1899	Maximo Medina	1 year
1900	Prospero Azzarini	2 years
1902	Augusto Decou	1 year
1903	Miguel Trinidad	2 years
1905	Demetrio Cartes – February 15
1905	Demetrio Cartes – August 28	2 years
1907	Maximo Medina	1 year

On January 25, 1908, our town was elevated from Villa to city of Pilar.

Reference: Notes for the history of Pilar – Prof. Carlos Alberto Mazzó.

Year	First and last names	Duration/ years
1908	Ramón Díaz González	1 year
1909	Eloy dos Santos	1 year
1910	Jose Guglielnetti	1 year

Year	First and last names	Duration/ years	Title	Names	Surnames
1	1910	7 months	Dr.	José Lázaro	Albera
2	1911	1 year	Sr.	Alfonso	Dos Santos
3	1912	5 years	Sr.	Domiciano	Albera
4	1917	3 years	Dr.	José Lázaro	Albera
5	1920	9 years	Sr.	Alfonso	Dos Santos
6	1929	3 years	Sr.	Sixto	Ríos
7	1932	3 year ( Ital)	Sr.	Pila De	Valoriani
8	1935	1 year	Prof.	Serviliano	Alonso Peralta
9	1936	1 year/ 3 INTEND	Sr.	Liborio	Paredes
			Sr.	Pila De	Valoriani
			Sr.	Luciano	Zayas
10	1937	1 years	Mayor	Manuel	Muñoz González
11	1938	2 years	Prof.	Serviliano	Alonso Peralta
12	1940	1 year	Sr.	Santiago	Bértoli
13	1941	7 years	Dr.	Alberto	Fernández
14	1948	months	Sr.	Aurelio	Dos Santos
15	1948	1 years	Sr.	Alberto	Dávalos
16	1949	11 years	Ing.	Carlino	Báez
17	1960	7 years	Sr.	Vicente	Souto Hernández
18	1967	7 years	Sr.	Rubén	Ortíz Valenzuela
19	1974	14 years	Prof.	Fabio	Insfrán Ruiz Diaz
20	1988	1 year	Sr.	Héctor	Bottino Franco
21	1989	months	Sr.	Fidel	Zenteno
22	1989	months	Prof.	Julio César	Lugo
23	1991	5 year	Dr.	Víctor Hermógenes	Encina Silva
24	1996	5 years	Prof.	Tomás Saturnino	Montiel Palacios
25	2002	4 years	Sr.	Darío Rubén	Encina Silva
26	2006	3 years 8 months	Sr.	Carlos Francisco	Silva Medina
27	2010	4 months	Sr.	Cristobal Alfredo	Stete Ghiringhelli
28	2011	5 years	Sr.	Luis Federico	Benítez Cuevas
29	2015	6 years	Sr.	Cristóbal Alfredo	Stete Ghiringhelli
30	2021	5 years	Mgtr.	Fernando Luis	Ramírez González

On July 20, 1910, the position of Municipal Mayor was created. The first to occupy this position was the (doctor) Dr. José Lázaro Albera.

Since 1991, by provision of the National Constitution, municipal elections for Mayor and corresponding Board have arisen in Popular Elections.

The First Mayor elected by the people was the 'Abog. Víctor Hermógenes Encina Silva, while previously and until 1989 they were appointed by decree of the Executive Branch.

In 2010, due to electoral obligations that made it possible for Mr. Carlos Francisco Silva Medina to seek re-election, Mr. Cristóbal Alfredo Stete Ghiringhelli succeeds him in office for a period of 4 months.

Next was the period of municipal government of Mr. Luís Federico Benítez Cuevas (Year 2010 – 2015). Then the Mr. Cristóbal Alfredo Stete Ghiringhelli – Elected Municipal Executive (period 2015 – 2021) one more year of extended management as a result of adverse natural situations and pandemic affecting the democratic process at the country level.

Currently, 'Mgtr.' assumed municipal management. Fernando Luís Ramírez González, the period from November 2021 to 2026, marking an important historical milestone in terms of youth and preparation.

• The record for longest time in office: it was established by Prof. Fabio Insfrán Ruíz Díaz, from 1974 to 1988 (13 years 4 months).

• The other record, for the shortest time: It was Mr. Jorge Fidel Zenteno, from March 14, 1989 to April 10, 1989 (27 days).

Reference: Notes for the history of Pilar – Prof. Carlos Alberto Mazzó

Pilar is divided into a total of 32 neighborhoods, data obtained by the Planning and Works Secretariat of the Municipality of Pilar (year 2025).

Pilar neighborhoods
1 - Gral. Díaz Neighborhood	17 - San Alfonso neighborhood
2 - October 12 neighborhood	18 - 15 de Mayo neighborhood (Conavi Norte)
3 - Working Neighborhood	19 - Villa Paso neighborhood
4 - San Antonio neighborhood	20 - Mbokajaty neighborhood
5 - Loma Clavel neighborhood	21 - San José neighborhood
6 - Crucecita neighborhood	22 - Guarani neighborhood
7 - San Miguel neighborhood	23 - Eastern District
8 - San Francisco neighborhood	24 - San Rafael neighborhood
9 - Puerto Nuvo neighborhood	25 - John Paul II Neighborhood
10 - December 8 Neighborhood	26 - Colinas del Pilar neighborhood
11 - Las Residentas neighborhood (Conavi Sur)	27 - Urbanization - Aurora neighborhood
12 - Villa Parque neighborhood	28 - San Isidro neighborhood
13 - San Roque González neighborhood	29 - San Quintín Urbanization
14 - San Lorenzo neighborhood	30 - La Elisa Urbanization
15 - Ytororo neighborhood	31 - Bado Ñu Urbanization (Airport Villa)
16 - San Vicente neighborhood	32 - Paraguayan Women's Neighborhood
	33 - September 21 Neighborhood (Km5)

The rural area of ​​Pilar is divided into six companies.

Pilar companies
1 - First Yataity Company
2 - Second Yataity Company
3 - Third Yataity Company
4 - Cambacua
5- Apu´a Valley
6 - Medina

Pilar is a commercial, tourist and industrial city. The city's residents are mainly dedicated to commerce, fishing, dairy production (bovine and goat), and horticulture. There are also some dairy factories in the city.

The largest textile company in Paraguay, Manufactura de Pilar SA, absorbs a large part of the country's cotton production. The Italian Paolo Federico Alberzoni settled there due to its strategic location and founded his textile complex located at the angle formed by the Paraguay River and the Ñeembucú Stream.

In rural areas, they are mainly dedicated to dairy production (bovine), livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats), horticulture, agriculture (mainly corn, sugar cane, Cameroon grass), and to a lesser extent to fishing.

In Pilar there are several Banks and Cooperatives, they are: Banco Nacional de Fomento, Banco Visión, Banco Familiar, Banco Interfisa, Banco Continental, Financiera El Comercio; Cooperativa Ñeembucú Limitada, Cooperativa San Juan Bta., Cooperativa Universitaria and the Cooperativa 8 de Marzo.

Pilar is located 230 km from the city of Asunción, it is reached by route PY19 "Héroes de 1870" and by route PY04 "General José Eduvigis Diaz".

The city of Pilar is considered one of the most important cities in the country, historical, commercial, and industrial. It is the most populated city in Ñeembucú. Its streets are largely cobbled or embankd, and to a lesser extent paved. There are practically no cobblestone streets, unlike most cities and towns in the country, the few cobblestone streets (less than 10 blocks) are being replaced by cobblestones. The land in Pilar is mostly white (washed sand), and not the red land that characterizes the Eastern Region of the country.

The Ñeembucú stream divides the city in two, the oldest and most populated part being the one on its left bank, joining the city by the Ñeembucú Bridge. It has countless old houses and several squares, most of them in the city center. In front of the city is Puerto Cano (formosa province in Argentina), and a few kilometers downstream, the mouth of the Bermejo River (Colorado River by the locals of Pilar).

The streets and squares are adorned by statues of birds and, to a lesser extent, historical scenes from the war against the Triple Alliance, for this reason one of its nicknames is the City of Birds. Other squares in the city are:

• Plaza Mariscal Francisco Solano López
• Heroes Square
• Paraguayan Soldier Square
• Carlos Miguel Jiménez Plaza
• Plaza General Bernardino Caballero, or Plaza-Canchita del Bº Obrero
• Plaza Las Residentas
• Luis María Argaña Square in the San José neighborhood

The center of the city is home to a large number of historical buildings dating back to the founding of the city.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar, whose feast day is celebrated on October 12, is a magnificent church constructed by Italian missionaries to the city.

During Semana Santa the city is the site of a large fishing tournament and competition that attracts participants and spectators from all over Paraguay and Northern Argentina.

The city's location on the Rio Paraguay provides a prime location for boating and fishing. There are walking paths, pavilions, and parks located on the shores of the river. The shores of the calmer Arroyo Ñeembucú provide the city's residents with a beach to enjoy on hot December days.

The Town Council Museum was constructed in 1817, during the government of President Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia. It is excellently preserved. This is the only build of this nature that is still preserved in the country. The museum contains objects of historical importance including photographs, trophies and medals that belonged to the Marshall López, as well as pieces of columns from the old church, weapons, bullets, ammunitions, chains, lances, shields and other historical artifacts.

A very popular tourist destination is also the "Fiesta Hawaiana" Party every January 2. In recent years, this party which is held alongside the Neembucu River has reached about 20,000 to 30,000 people coming from all parts of Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay

Pilar is considered as one of the safest and cleanest cities in all of Paraguay.

Tourism is very fluid in the City, all year round it receives tourists from all over the country and foreigners, mainly Argentinians, Brazilians and Italians, among others such as Uruguayans and Europeans; mainly to visit historical sites in the department of Ñeembucú.

Since 1988, every year on January 2, the Traditional Hawaiian Festival takes place on the banks of the Ñeembucú Stream. During this festival, the city receives the largest influx of tourists throughout the year, coming from all over the world. It is estimated that there are more than 4,500 visitors from outside the city who attend the festival, and it is increasing every year. . During the party there are more than 20,000 people gathered on the beach according to the organizers. It is the 1st. Great Calendar Festival in the country, apart from the New Year's celebrations, and many consider it the largest beach party in Paraguay, due to the number of people it brings together. At the climax of the celebrations, there is not only a party on the beach, but also celebrations throughout the city, with more than 22,000 people estimated to join the party and celebrations. For that day, there are no rooms available in the numerous hotels, lodgings, and even motels in the city, and reservations must be made in advance. The Plaza de los Héroes is usually enabled for camping during that date. In 2012 there was the largest influx of participants, more than 25,000 people.

During Holy Week, fishing competitions are held, attracting tourists from all over Mercosur. During these dates, the city is usually the place where most tourists stay to visit the historical places in the department of Ñeembucú, and at night they entertain themselves in the city.

Restaurants and hotels offer menus prepared with fish such as surubí, corvina, pacú and dorado.

Tourists and residents usually bathe in the white sands of the beaches of the Ñeembucú stream, since the Paraguay River is larger and more dangerous for this attraction. The main beaches are located on the left bank of the stream, some of them are:

• Club Deportivo Pilarense beach, located in the heart of the city, in the Gral. Díaz neighborhood. The Traditional Hawaiian Festival usually takes place every January 2nd.
• Yegros Paso Beach, located on the city limits, in the Ntra. Sra. de La Asunción neighborhood. Currently the longest beach in the Pilar district.
• Caballero Paso Beach, located in the Yataity Company.

• The Minor Basilica and Regional Sanctuary of Our Lady of Pilar, is the only Church in Paraguay with the rank of Minor Basilica; The elevation to this category is recorded in a Papal decree signed in 1978 by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. Its Patronal Festival is celebrated on October 12, bringing together thousands of faithful from different parts of the country and Argentina.
• The Cabildo de Pilar Museum, whose construction dates back to 1784, renovated in 1817 during the Government of Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, is a very well preserved construction, composed of three sections and the upper floor has a large balcony, where the then Colonel López spoke famous words. In this museum, belongings, photographs, trophies and medals of Marshal López are preserved, as well as altarpieces and columns from the old church, there are also weapons, rifles, bullets, ammunition, swords, bayonets, chains, spears, shields among others. It is currently the only standing council in Paraguay, since the Cultural Center of the Republic, called El Cabildo, never acted as such, since the building was built as the headquarters of the National Congress during the government of Carlos Antonio López, next to which It was the true council of the city of Asunción.
• The Juan XXIII Technical School is a private educational institution, belonging to the Catholic Church through FROSEP and subsidized by the Paraguayan State. At the national level, it has obtained recognition from the National Government as the Best Institution in Educational Quality for two years. Currently with more than 700 students, and thousands of graduates who mostly study at the best universities in Argentina, the United States and Europe. Its motto is "Best School in the Galaxy", a nickname given by its students who feel totally satisfied with the quality of education and institutional infrastructure.
• The former House of Juana Pesoa, lover of Mariscal López, mother of 3 of his children. This colonial house has barred windows, wide walls and doors characteristic of the 19th century.
• Teatro San Alfonso, steps from Plaza Mariscal. Francisco Solano López. Belonging to the Redemptorist Foundation of Educational Works of Pilar (FROSEP).
• Family House. Granada, an old colonial house with the particularity of being the only house with two doors on the corner that is still standing in Paraguay.
• The Textile Manufactura de Pilar company, founded by the Italian Paolo Federico Alberzoni, over the years, the Manufactura de Pilar company, marked the life and development of the capital of Ñeembucú.
• Paolo Federico Alberzoni Museum, the Italian Paolo Federico Alberzoni chose Pilar for its strategic location to install the textile industry. His residence, located on the same premises as the plant, displays objects linked to the history of the factory and aspects of his life.

Pilar is served by Carlos Miguel Jiménez Airport, however traffic is limited to private airplanes.

Located at the very Argentina–Paraguay border, the ferry traffic from the harbor of Pilar connects the city to Puerto Cano, which is close to Resistencia and Formosa in Argentina. There is a paved highway, the Route 4, that is 140 km long and starts at San Ignacio.

Until quite recently, there was no paved route to Asunción, and the city was nearly isolated during periods of rain. Today, however, there is the Villeta–Alberdi–Pilar Route that connects the capital with Pilar, and daily buses use it to go to various other cities. The primary mode of transportation to other cities is by bus from the Central Terminal, which offers routes to Asunción and its suburbs such as Luque, Ñemby, and San Lorenzo, as well as Ciudad del Este, Villarrica, Pedro Juan Caballero, Encarnación, Santa Rita, Humaitá, Concepción, Mariscal Estigarribia and Villa Hayes.

Within the city, motorcycles and mopeds make up the bulk of traffic, with bicycles also constituting a significant percentage of traffic. In addition, it is quite possible to find people on horseback, in horse-drawn carts, on foot, and in cars or trucks on the same street.

The nickname Pearl of the South arose from an anecdote collected in some local history books. The anecdote reflects what happened with Marshal López who, on the occasion of each trip he made to Pilar to visit Juanita Pesoa, when asked what the destination of the trip always responded to seeing my Pearl of the South. Some cities in southern Paraguay attribute this nickname to themselves, but it is proven that more than 150 years ago Pilar was already referred to this way, hence the name of the Authentic Pearl of the South.

Another nickname is the Capital of Paraguayan Cordiality, attributed to the cordiality, helpfulness, and warmth of the Pilarenses.

The people of Pilar refer to their city as my small homeland, since their father, Carlos Miguel Jiménez, always said so.

There are several educational centers at all levels, a theater, belonging to the Redemptorist Foundation of Educational Works of Pilar (FROSEP), San Alfonso, whose walls are inscribed THE VALUE OF A TOWN IS MEASURED BY ITS CULTURE.

In this aspect, it is also convenient to mention the Pegasus Cast, a theater cast that provides citizens with the most popular works of Paraguayan art, founded by the theater director and graduate in performing arts Elvio Torres. and his delegate collaborators and actors Adrián López and Mary Sol Cuevas.

Pegasus Cast Actors:

• Nicolás Cristaldo
• Rodrigo Gardel
• Melisa Rodas
• Cecilia Arrúa
• Adolfo Torres
• Gisselle Ayala
• Hugo Paredes
• Samuel Bobadilla

The oldest Technical College in Paraguay (opened in the '60s) is located in Pilar (C.T. Juan XXIII FROSEP). The National University of Pilar is the 2nd national university founded in the country. There is an agrarian school (San Isidro Labrador FROSEP), which is one of the few in the country.

The Cavalry Regiment No. 2, Colonel Felipe Toledo (RC2), is based in the city, on the right bank of the Ñeembucú stream, and where the battle of Villa Paso was fought. In this battle, the old church of Pilar, which was located, was damaged. on the left bank, in front of RC2.

Several sports are played in Pilar, the most popular being basketball and soccer.

There is at least one basketball court in each educational institution, being the most successful sport in Pilar, both for men and women. At the national level, the Pilar National Team is one of the best teams in the country, its staunchest rival being the Encarnación National Team, and lately that of San Lorenzo. There are two main venues for the disputes of this sport, that of the 1º de Mayo Club, and that of the Municipal Sports Center. It has its own League (Pilarense Basketball Association).

Soccer is also widely practiced in the city, having its own league and three appropriate venues for the dispute of said matches, that of Club Cap. Bado, America, and Díaz. At the women's level, this sport has had its greatest laurels, being national champion. The women's team of Col. Téc. Juan XXIII FROSEP has been national and international champion of the Coca-Cola Cup. Indoor soccer, paddle tennis, tennis, swimming, volleyball, etc. are also practiced in the city.

• Centro de Noticias Pilar
• Web Centro de Noticias Pilar

• AM 700 MHz: Radio Nacional Carlos Antonio López
• FM 88.1 kHz: Radio Renacer
• FM 92.9 kHz: Radio Evolución
• FM 91.9 kHz: Radio Plus
• FM 95.9 kHz: Radio Patria Guaraní
• FM 98.1 kHz: Radio Arapy
• FM 100.7 kHz: Radio Universidad
• FM 103.1 kHz: Radio sol
• FM 104.1 kHz: Radio FROSEP Patria Soñada
• FM 104.7 kHz: Radio Sur
• FM 106.9 kHz: Radio Pilar

• Canal 7 (SNT)
• Canal 9 (Telefuturo)
• TV Renacer
• TV Evolución
• TV Plus
• TV Arapy

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  The Pilar Cathedral, Paraguay
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  The Pilar Cathedral, Paraguay
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  Coastal Avenue, Pilar, Paraguay
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  Nuestra Señora del Pilar Cathedral, Pilar, Paraguay
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  Pilar, Paraguay
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  Interior of the Pilar Cathedral, Paraguay

Pilar has sister cities:

• Carmelo, Uruguay
• Reconquista, Argentina

• World Gazeteer: Paraguay – World-Gazetteer.com