San Xavier Mission: Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos (Eastern Bolivia)

in Bolivia, Spanish Colonialism 1,044 Views

Written by Marco Ramerini. Photos by Geoffrey A. P. Groesbeck

San Javier is a small town in the department of Beni in the Amazonian plains of the State of Bolivia. The city lies at an altitude of 537 metres between the Rio Paquius and the Río San Julián. The town of Concepcion is located 60 km north-east, while the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra is located 220 km south-west.

This mission was the first to be established between the missions of the Chiquitania. It was founded in 1691 by the Jesuits Fr Antonio de Rivas and José de Arce. In subsequent years after its foundation, the mission was relocated several times, this happened in the years 1696 and 1698, and 1705-6.

This mission was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990.