Ecclesiastical architecture, topography, and religious communication in the Bolivian highlands

Abstract

The paper investigates the role of architecture, topography, and space for the religious communication and the creation of sacred space in the colonial Bolivian altiplano. It scrutinizes different forms and techniques of representation of Christian and Andean concepts in religious architectures, like churches and churchyards. Moreover, taking into account the case of the Andean town of Carabuco, its topographical characteristics, architectural artifacts and the representation of both in a visual source of the 17th century, it sheds new light on the processes of communication and appropriation of religious knowledge in a colonial contact zone.