Atyrá is one of the oldest cities of Paraguay, alongside Yaguarón, Villarrica, Encarnación, Pilar, San Lorenzo, Humaitá among others.

Atyrá, initially named Atyhá, was founded by the governor Domingo Martínez de Irala in 1538.

Located in the Altos Cordillera, the landscape of the city has large extensions of rocks that form undulations.

It is bounded to the north by the city of Arroyos y Esteros, to the north-east by Loma Grande District, to the south by Tobatí, to the west by the Altos, and to the south-east by San Bernardino and Ypacarai.

Atyrá has a population of 15,278 inhabitants, 8,004 men and 7,274 women, according to the projections of the national Statistics, Polls and Census General Direction (2008).

The church of Atyrá is nowadays a museum of sacred art that exhibits carvings in wood made by the natives since 1580, with a Baroque Hispano-Guaraní style.

The building of the church started around 1782, impelled by the priest Father Almada, who also encouraged the population of the city to develop some mechanical and artisan abilities.

The church building was remodeled in 1852 by command of the President of Paraguay at that time, Carlos Antonio López.