[论文解读] Todos estos edificios se hacen de diverso modo que en Europa: Estudio arqueoastronómico de las iglesias jesuíticas de Chiquitos

Alejandro Gangui|arXiv (Cornell University)|Feb 1, 2026

Historical and Architectural Studies被引用 0

一句话总结

论文分析了在基齐托斯（玻利维亚）八座耶稣会教堂的空间方位，以及一座第九座遗址和一座基于计划/地图的第十座教堂，以探究建筑对齐模式及可能的天文影响。

ABSTRACT

The study of the spatial layout of Christian churches has been of great interest since late Antiquity and the beginning of the Early Middle Ages, and has received a new impetus in recent literature when it was recognized that the orientation of their main axes represents a key feature of their architecture. From the earliest Christian communities, the orientation of the church allowed the faithful to pray facing the east, towards the rising Sun. Several authors were careful to point this out in their writings; in particular, prior to the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), the Apostolic Constitutions indicated: "And let it be, first, the elongated building, with its head facing east". We present a detailed analysis of the spatial orientation of the historic churches located in the Jesuit towns of Chiquitania (Bolivia). We have measured in situ the main characteristics of eight churches currently standing and the ruins of a ninth construction. In all cases, we carry out a thorough survey of the landscape surrounding each church, trying to find some common pattern, possibly astronomical, that explains its orientations. To our list we also add the orientation measures of a tenth church based on work with plans and satellite maps. We complement our data with a detailed cultural and historical study of the characteristics of missionary towns. Unlike the churches of the Guarani towns of the historic province of Paraquaria where the meridian orientations stand out, in the case of the Jesuit churches of Chiquitos, half of the measured constructions show orientations that fall within the solar range, with three churches oriented equinoctially with high precision. We analyze the reasons for these orientations and delve further on the possible relevance that lighting effects could have had for the architects of these churches, which represent true hidden cathedrals in the virgin tropical forest.

研究动机与目标

• 调查基蒂亚利亚地区耶稣会城镇教堂的朝向是否与天文模式一致。
• 评估基奇托斯教堂在朝向上的与欧洲规范的差异。
• 为传教城镇的建筑选择提供文化-历史背景。

提出的方法

• 在现场对八座现存教堂的主要特征及第九座建筑遗址进行原位测量。
• 结合计划与卫星地图对第十座教堂的朝向测量进行补充。
• 对每座教堂周围开展全面的景观调查，以识别潜在模式或天文解释。
• 包含对传教城镇特征的详细文化与历史研究。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 基奇托斯耶稣会教堂的朝向是否偏好太阳区、子午线或春分/秋分对齐？
• RQ2 哪些历史、照明或景观因素可能解释观测到的朝向？
• RQ3 基奇托斯教堂在朝向模式上与帕拉瓜里亚的瓜拉尼教堂有何差异？
• RQ4 照明效应在塑造这些教堂建筑选择中起到什么作用？

主要发现

• 测量对象中一半落在太阳范围内。
• 三座教堂以高精度对齐到春分/秋分。
• 基于计划和卫星地图对第十座教堂的朝向进行了补充评估，以补充原位数据。
• 该研究为传教城镇提供文化-历史背景，以解释空间方位。