Missionary Patrons in San Javierito: Jesuit Heritage in the Bolivian Chiquitanía

Abstract

The urban-architectural influence of the 17th-century Jesuit presence in the new communities of the rural region of the Bolivian Chiquitanía is a little-studied topic. The emphasis has always been on the analysis and conservation of the missionary circuit, which was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1990. However, small villages near the missions present planning and construction patterns inspired by the missionary presence. For this study, the community of San Javierito, belonging to the parish of San Francisco Javier in the Department of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, founded in 1960, was considered. This community has characteristic features of the mission in its square, chapel, and direct urban environment, which were studied through the analogical method that allowed determining the coincidences concerning the Jesuit missionary genesis. The analysis was developed based on functional, formal, and constructive variables from the urban and architectural point of view. As a result of this comparison, the percentage of similarity for the missionary legacy was shown on a rating scale.