Parish Networks and Territory in Bolivia: The Chapel System of the Oruro Altiplano in Historical Perspective

Abstract

Architectural religious heritage in rural Andean contexts cannot be understood solely as isolated objects, but rather as part of territorial systems where rituality, mobility, community organization, and cultural landscape converge. In the Oruro Altiplano, rural chapels constitute a historical network linked to pre-Hispanic roads, colonial routes, and devotional dynamics. This article propases a territorial analysis of the chapel system of the central Altiplano through georeferenced cartography and a multiscalar approach, interpreting these chapels as nades within a historical and symbolic network. The study aims to identify patterns of distribution, spatial hierarchies, and relationships between architecture, territory, and ritual practices.