San José de Chiquitos

San José stands apart from the other missions because of its material: while the rest were built in timber and adobe, here the Jesuits used stone, and the result is an ensemble of four connected buildings along one side of the plaza, a church, a bell tower with an arched facade, a mortuary chapel and a workshop range, joined into a single long front of pale masonry with a walled courtyard behind. It is more austere than the painted timber churches to the north and reads almost as a fortress. The town around is a Chiquitano place with a hot dry climate and a plaza of low buildings. The first Spanish foundation of Santa Cruz, later moved west, was near here, and its site is a nearby historic park.

History

The mission of San José was founded in 1698 by the Jesuits Felipe Suárez and Dionisio Ávila, and at first it was home to the Penoca people. Its church, built between 1745 and 1760 by an unknown architect, is of stone, unlike the adobe and timber mission churches elsewhere in the region, and the mortuary chapel of 1740, the bell tower of 1748 and the priests' house and workshops of 1754 still stand; the mission is one of four that remain on their original sites. In 1990 it was declared part of the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos).

What's there

• The stone ensemble - four joined buildings forming one long facade.
• The bell tower front - the arched masonry facade on the plaza.
• The mortuary chapel - the separate building within the range.
• The walled courtyard - the enclosure behind the church front.

When to go

April to October for the roads and bearable heat; the lowlands are severe from November to March. Morning light on the pale stone is best. The train from Santa Cruz stops here.

Good to know

Heat and humidity are significant most of the year. The interior is plainer than the northern missions and some visitors find it less rewarding. The town has limited accommodation and food. The road east is long, though the railway is an alternative.

Nearby

Santiago de Chiquitos lies east; the northern missions are north.

Key facts