Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos

Between 1691 and 1760 Jesuits established a chain of missions among the Chiquitano peoples of the eastern lowlands, and unlike the Paraguayan reductions, which were abandoned and became ruins, these were kept in use by the communities after the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, so they survive as working churches in living towns. Six are inscribed: San Javier, Concepción, Santa Ana, San Miguel, San Rafael and San José. The buildings are unlike anything else in the Americas, most of them timber-framed with turned columns, adobe walls, painted and carved facades and mica-flecked interiors, several designed by the Swiss Jesuit Martin Schmid and built by Chiquitano craftsmen; the church of San José is of stone, by an unknown architect. The musical tradition survived too: thousands of pages of Baroque scores were preserved and are performed at a biennial festival.

History

The first Jesuits reached Santa Cruz de la Sierra in 1587, but with the encouragement of the governor of Santa Cruz, Agustín Gutiérrez de Arce, they turned to the Chiquitania only later, founding eleven missions there between 1691 and 1760. San Rafael, founded in 1695, was moved in 1701, 1705 and 1719 because of epidemics and fire, and Father Martin Schmid built its surviving church between 1747 and 1749; San José, founded in 1698, has a stone church built between 1745 and 1760 by an unknown architect, unlike the adobe and timber churches of the other missions. Restoration led by Hans Roth from 1972 brought several of the churches back, and in 1990 six of the former missions were designated together as a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos).

What to look for

• Timber-columned churches - carved wooden posts carrying the roofs.
• Painted facades - the decorated fronts at San Javier and Concepción.
• Chiquitano carving - altarpieces and pulpits made by local craftsmen.
• The music archive - Baroque scores preserved and still performed.

When to go

April to October, the dry season, when the roads between the towns are reliable. The Baroque music festival falls in even-numbered years around April and fills the circuit. Heat is significant year round.

Things to know

The circuit is a long drive between towns on roads that vary in quality, and doing it properly needs three days or more. Churches keep local hours and may be closed at midday. Accommodation in the smaller towns is basic. Restoration varies between sites.

Nearby

San José de Chiquitos is at the southern end; Santa Cruz lies west.

Key facts