Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Plaza Principal 31 de Julio
Many of the village houses are simple, palm-thatched cane structures, but the
Plaza Prin-
cipal 31 de Julio
is lined with stone houses whose tiled roofs extend over the pavement to
provide shelter from the harsh tropical sun and frequent rain. In its centre stands a
statue
of
an indigenous warrior in the same costume as that worn by the
Machetero
dancers during the
July fiesta.
Iglesia de San Ignacio
Plaza Principal 31 de Julio • Daily 8am-8pm • Free
OntheeastsideofthePlazaPrincipalis
Iglesia de San Ignacio
,thetown'sphysicalandspir-
itual centre. Built in the barn-like style favoured by the Jesuits, its interior is brightly painted
in a beautiful naïve style with scenes from the life of Ignacio Loyola, the mercenary soldier
turned saint who founded the Jesuit order. The church is run by Spanish Jesuit priests, who
are once again heavily involved in defending the rights of the indigenous population against
logging companies and large landowners, and who continue to inspire a deep faith in their
congregation. Hundreds of people attend Mass on Sundays, and it's even more atmospheric
in the not so unlikely event of a power cut, when services are held by flickering candlelight.
El Centro Parroqueo Museo de Moxos
Ballivián, on Plaza Principal • Mon-Sat 8.30am-12.30pm & 2.30-6pm, Sun 9am-1pm • Music archive
Mon-Fri only • Bs15
This small, church-run museum is housed around the Iglesia's peaceful cloisters and gardens,
with illustrated displays on the history of both the Moxos people and the mission itself. The
real reason to come here, though, is the famous archive of
Moxeña music
, containing over
seven thousand antique pages. Many of its more recent acquisitions were retrieved from the
scattered communities of the
Parque Nacional y Reserva Indígena Isiboro-Sécure
: poly-
phonicandantiphonicpieces,devotionalsongsandsacredoperasofEuropeanorigin,hybrid-
ized over time with indigenous music and dance, and, given the area's geographical isolation,
all but immune from the tides of cultural change. Many of the scores have now been restored,
catalogued anddigitized, andthemusic revivedintheperformances ofthelocal
Baroque mu-
