THE MISSIONS’S ROUTE

The Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos are a UNESCO World Heritage site in the department Santa Cruz situated in the east of Bolivia. The ensemble consists of six towns which were founded as reductions by Jesuits in the 17th and 18th century and survived as a living heritage.
These missions, noted for their originality and rich expressive architecture, are separated by up to a few hundred miles and lie east and north-east of Santa Cruz de la Sierra between the Paraguay and Guapay rivers in a remote and difficult to access part of the Gran Chaco. They are the last remaining settlements of their kind in Bolivia. Similar though less well preserved missions can be found in the neighboring countries of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

History

Arrival in America. In the 16th century priests of different religious orders set out to colonize America and to bring Christianity to indigenous communities. One of the most outstanding of these missions was the engagement of the Jesuits and the Franciscans in Chiquitania. Having finally obtained permission from the Spanish king Philip II in 1566, a group of Jesuits traveled to the Viceroyalty of Peru where they established themselves in Lima in 1569, more than 30 years after the Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians and Mercedarians. From here the Jesuits moved east towards Paraguay.
In 1572 they reached the Audience of Charcas in what is now Bolivia. Since for nearly a century the Jesuits were not allowed to establish settlements on the frontier, they mainly satisfied the spiritual needs of the colonists by building chapter houses, churches and schools in places like La Paz, Potosi and La Plata (present day Sucre).
In 1587 the first Jesuits, Diego Samaniego and Diego Martínez, arrived to Santa Cruz de la Sierra which at that time was situated south of present day San José de Chiquitos. Later, in 1592, the city was moved 155 miles to the west to its present location. The remains of the original town remain in the archeological site Santa Cruz la Vieja.
Only by the end of the 17th century the Jesuits started to carry out missions in the valleys north east of the cordillera. There were two major centers for their activities: Moxos which is situated in the department of Beni and Chiquitanía in the department of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Cipriano Barace founded the first Jesuit reduction in Loreto in Moxos in 1682.

The Jesuits missions in Chiquitanía

SAN JAVIER MISSION

It is the first Jesuit mission in the Chiquitanía. It was founded in 1691 by the Jesuit José de Arce and later moved. The baroque church was built between 1749 and 1752, and restored between 1987 and 1993; the edifice invites visitors to admire the artistic beauty of its architecture including the ornate carvings of its columns and wood drawings in brownish yellow hues.
An added attraction is the possibility of enjoying cultural events such as baroque and Renaissance music concerts, which have given significant impetus to tourism in the region.

CONCEPTION MISSION

The baroque mission church, built between 1752 and 1753, was restored and rededicated again in 1982. This basilica opens its doors to let visitors admire the beauty of its three-section nave, rows of sculpted wooden columns, altars and paintings done by local people.
Besides the unforgettable sight of the church at sundown, the staging of cultural events - such as baroque music concerts -, the Holy Week, the visit to the Sapocó resort and motorboat sailing at the dam are the main attractions of this locality.

SAN IGNACIO DE VELASCO MISSION

San Ignacio in present day San Ignacio de Velasco was founded in 1748 by Areijer and Contreras and was not declared a World Heritage site. This mission church building is modern, but its altars, pulpit and confessionals have maintained the original structure.
Other places to visit in San Ignacio include handcraft workshops where artisans use natural materials and production techniques inherited from their ancestors.

SANTA ANA DE VELASCO MISSION

The church of the Santa Ana mission, founded in 1755, is the one that preserves local elements in the most authentic way offering a delightful experience. Undoubtedly, one of the most important religious festivals is the Holy Week, characterized by processions surrounded by flowers, plants and palm-leaf arches.
The town also boasts a dam where you can enjoy a swim in its crystalline waters.

SAN RAFAEL MISSION

The San Rafael Jesuit mission church was built between 1747 and 1749 and has recently been restored by a team of artisans. The altar of this basilica, covered in gold-leaf, as well as its porticos and wooden carved columns are remarkable.
Another reason to visit the area is the natural beauty of the surrounding highland landscape.

SAN MIGUEL DE VELASCO

Founded in 1721, the mission has a church that was completely restored maintaining the architectural style of other churches in the zone. Its gold-leaf altar is unique, as are its ceiling, engravings and the impressive beauty of its murals and carvings.

Some institutions from the time of the Jesuits have survived until today. In San Rafael, San Miguel and San Ignacio the town councils are still functioning. The caciques and the sexton still retain their capacities. Even though the majority of the population is now catholic, there remains a broad and rich mythology. Agriculture is the area’s major economical activity. Maize, rice, yuca, cotton and heart of palm are produced and exported. Cattle ranching and the industrial processing of milk have been developed extensively in recent years. Crafts often carved of wood using the same techniques as in colonial times provide additional income.
Since the launch of the Jesuit missions circuit at the end of the 20th century, craftsmanship and tourism have been closely related. The musical festivals and concerts held regularly in the mission towns testify to the living heritage of this art form.

Baroque music

Music played a special part in the life and the evangelization of the natives. Having realized the exceptional skillfulness of the Indians to the interpretation of music, the Jesuits send important composers, choir directors and manufacturers of musical instruments to South America.
The most famous was probably the Italian baroque composer Domenico Zipoli who worked in the reductions in Paraguay. Juan José Mesner and Martin Schmid two Jesuit musicians went to Chiquitanía. Especially the latter was responsible that this skill was developed to such a high degree that whole orchestras would play Baroque operas on hand-made instruments and polyphonic choirs perform. He directed the production of violins, harps, flutes and organs, wrote and copied masses, operas and motets. One organ he had build in Potosí and transported by mules over a distance of 621 miles on a difficult road to the Chiquitanía lowlands. The Jesuits used the musical lessons as a first step to the Christianization of the natives.

Tourist interests

La Gran Chiquitania -The Great Chiquitania - may well be South America’s last undiscovered paradise, a vast land of quiet, pristine natural beauty, blessed with a unique culture and fascinating history. Slumbering in the remote eastern plains of Bolivia’s Santa Cruz province, it is a refuge and a delight for the traveler. The product of a remarkable fusion of two civilizations, European and Native American, its fascinating legacy remains intact to this day.
Its world-famous Jesuit mission churches, each a breathtakingly beautiful architectural wonder and spiritual monument built in the midst of an idyllic wilderness, were established by intrepid Jesuit missionaries between 1691 and 1760. Six were designated World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1990, and seven survive intact, their original glory lovingly restored in every detail. Others come for the Renaissance and Baroque musical and theater extravaganzas (celebrated in world-famous festivals held every other year throughout the region’s major towns); an astounding heritage of sacred art and architecture; abandoned colonial ruins slumbering in pristine settings and a wealth of centuries-old customs and folklore handed down from one generation to the next that still play a dominant role in daily life. Some come for the colorful folklore and traditions maintained here and nowhere else. Still others come for the beautiful hand-wrought art that has fascinated collectors and scholars for centuries. Yet there is more than cultural attractions.
Nature rules here, and the options are limitless, from luxurious cabañas and the slow pace of life in towns like San Javier and Concepción, to charming frontier settlements like Santa Ana and San Matías; from the honeymoon villages of Santiago de Chiquitos and Roboré to empty, eerie landscapes and petrified forests of the pathless Serranía Santiago and Serranía Sunsas. You can visit historical wonders from prehistoric drawings in long-forgotten caves and rock faces in the remote outposts of Quimome and Motacusito to primeval forests larger than entire countries; from the northern edges of the trackless Gran Chaco to the watery wonderland of the Pantanal; from the amazing -Tree of Life - carvings and the energy-radiating El Torre in Chochís to secluded balnearios and wide-open plazas; and of course, the astounding flora and fauna of no less than five of Bolivia’s ecological crown jewels: Noel Kempff Mercado; Otuquis; San Matías; Santa Cruz la Vieja; and the Ríos Blanco y Negro National Wildlife Reserve.