Between 1696 and 1760, six ensembles of reducciones (settlements of Christianized Indians) inspired by the 'ideal cities’ of the 16th-century philosophers were founded by the Jesuits in a style that married Catholic architecture with local traditions. The six that remain - San Francisco Javier, Concepcion, Santa Ana, San Miguel, San Rafael and San Jose - make up a living heritage on the former territory of the Chiquitos.