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Wednesday, June 29, 2005; Posted: 10:37 a.m. EDT (14:37 GMT)

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SAN JOSE DE CHIQUITOS, Bolivia (AP) -- In this remote town in eastern Bolivia, an unlikely monument rises majestic above the simple red tile-roofed houses -- the lonely survivor of a glorious past.
Little has changed here since the San Jose de Chiquitos temple was built 250 years ago. Hot, quiet and devoid of most modern conveniences, the village looks lost in time, at the end of the world. But a glimmer of hope is making a difference: colonial art specialists and architects are working to bring back some of the temple's ancient glory, although at an exasperatingly slow pace. The name of the town doesn't do the temple justice. "Chiquitos" means small in Spanish, and the structure is magnificent -- the first built by the Jesuits as part of a massive evangelization campaign that ensured the freedom of tens of thousands of native Indians who otherwise would have become "encomiendas" -- or slaves of the Spanish conquistadors. But its glory remains almost hidden by its relatively remote location -although the town of San Jose de Chiquitos is accessible by train from the city of Santa Cruz, which has an airport with connections from Bolivia's capital, La Paz. And it's a pleasure to see the temple after spending hours in a candlelit room with no air conditioning at the local posada -- Chiquitos has no electricity between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. Its brown stone-covered facade and three-story tower rising from the flat horizon, the monument stands on a neat green plaza like an

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San Jose de Chiquitos temple in Bolivia is one of 33 "missions" the Jesuits built to protect the Indians. Image:

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CNN.com - Bolivia: Historic temple worth the trip - Jun 29, 2005

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undiscovered gem, waiting for colonial art lovers and seekers of architectural treasures. But time, neglect and vandalism have taken a heavy toll. Doors, walls, arches, paintings, statues, altars -- all cry for care. The restoration team, funded by the federal and local government, expects to complete its job in a couple of years.

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"The main altar should be ready in a few more months. The rest, perhaps by 2007," said chief architect Marcelo Vargas.

'Anthropological revolution'
That would be a record pace for the geologically slow restoration, which has dragged on for 20 years. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, declared Chiquitos and six other temples as world cultural heritage sites. That should have entitled the temple for aid from the government and financial institutions -- but the restoration team this year only has $15,000, left over from a contribution by an environmental state agency. The temple is one of 33 "missions" the Jesuits built to protect the Indians. The missions were autonomous, self-sufficient towns in the jungle and prairies over a vast area that today is part of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia. Experts say the missions were the first "industrial" settlements in the New World. The Jesuits taught the Guarani Indians handicrafts, sculpture, woodcarving and how to make and play musical instruments. The villages flourished as centers of culture and arts that were rare in the hemisphere. "They led an anthropological revolution. The natives leapfrogged from the stone age to the zenith of human knowledge of that time," said Elio Montenegro Banegas, a professor at the local Geography and History Center. "Chiquitos was the also the only mission with outside walls built in stone. In 75 years, by 1767, the Jesuits built what Chiquitos is still today." And it's one of the last remaining missions. Many simply disappeared, along with the Guarani groups that succumbed to the invasion of settlers after the Jesuits left.
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Getting there: American Airlines flies from Miami to La Paz, Bolivia, with connecting service to Santa Cruz. From Santa Cruz, you can take a train to San Jose de Chiquitos. Flights are also available to La Paz on other airlines from many other major South American cities, including Lima, Peru, and Caracas, Venezuela. Accommodations: Have a travel agent book a hotel reservation for you; sometimes hotels are full. Try the Hotel Turubo, which charges about $15 a night and has air conditioning. Currency: Buy some Bolivian money (about 8 pesos to the U.S. dollar) before you leave Santa Cruz. Fifty dollars per person is plenty to pay the hotel, taxis and meals in San Jose de Chiquitos. Tips: Bring a flashlight, as San Jose de Chiquitos has no electricity between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. And take a blanket for the train: sometimes the air conditioning is strong. The blanket will protect you against the mosquitos too.

CNN.com - Bolivia: Historic temple worth the trip - Jun 29, 2005

The Chiquitos temple survived thanks to Chiquitanos, as the people of the town are known. The Chiquitanos did not allow major changes to the temple because, even now, they consider it the symbol of their past. "Generation after generation, they were alert to prevent changes in the look of the church. Priests wanted to change the temple, and even reconstruct it. But the population was always against it. Chiquitanos maintained it the best they could. If a beam was rotting or breaking, they removed it and put in a new one, all from a single tree," said architect Vargas.

Careful restoration

Don't expect to find souvenir shops like those in other places. There are just a couple of places next to the posada selling some locally made handicrafts and post cards. But you'll have a full day to see the temple and artistic works, walk in the open patios, talk with members of the restoration team and take pictures. At night, there are small cafes by the plaza, where you can eat. If you like pool, there is a billiard hall with two tables by the plaza.

Slowly, patiently, the restoration team labors to undo damage of nature and restore the temple to its former glory. Dozens of pieces of carved wood and painting frames lie strewn in the workshops. "Humidity always played havoc with the temple," mumbles Lizbeth Cordova, as she patiently plasters mica layers on the carved wooden slab of one of the side altars. "Mica gives the appearance of silver. It was what the metal workers used most to build some of

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the temple's ornaments." Other parts of the altar will be covered with layers of 22 karat gold imported from Germany and Spain, she said. Thanks to the solid construction and maintenance provided by the town, wooden pillars supporting the lofty structure and the roof beams look virtually as solid as when the temple was built in 1745-1754. The Jesuits said the temple "ought to reflect the best of human imagination because it was the place where God dwelled," said Montenegro, of the Geography and History Center. When the Jesuits were expelled by the Spanish king, they submitted a list of 120 paintings of the life and passion of Jesus Christ and silver ornaments weighing some 3,700 pounds, Montenegro said. Most of those riches have
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CNN.com - Bolivia: Historic temple worth the trip - Jun 29, 2005

disappeared. But there have been unexpected windfalls. Restoration experts discovered original paintings concealed under a layer of plain wall paint, and the original art eventually will be uncovered and restored. "Those are well-preserved paintings that can be recovered, and then we will admire their splendor," said Vargas, the chief architect. "The fact that somebody recklessly painted the walls, was a blessing in disguise." Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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