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| Mission San Antonio de Valero, "The Alamo", San Antonio, TX |
The phrase "Remember the Alamo" is a part of America's lore. Yet, outside of Texas, many do not know much about the Alamo's origins or the city, San Antonio, in which it is located. The Alamo was one of five Spanish missions in the area and all of these San Antonio Missions were recently awarded the status of UNESCO World Heritage site. They are also a U.S. State Park and the park rangers there are quick to tell visitors that San Antonio, not Williamsburg, was the real Colonial America.
San Antonio's roots go back to June 13, 1691 when the place was discovered by a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries and named after San Antonio de Padua. Permission to build a mission and other buildings was granted by the viceroy in 1716 although actual construction of the Mission San Antonio de Valero- the Alamo- and a few other structures did not begin until 1718. All the missions were founded by monks of the Franciscan order based out of Querétero in Mexico.
By 1824 all five missions had been closed and the buildings turned over to local Catholic authorities. Over the years, through lack of use and maintenance, the buildings fell into a state of decay. Finally, in 1978, the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was formed and efforts to restore and preserve the missions began.
The five missions in the National Historical Park were built, as were all the missions of Colonial Mexico, to bring Christianity to the indigenous population of the area. Until 1845 what is now Texas was a part of Mexico and the missions of San Antonio are every bit as Spanish as anything you will see in the former motherland.
Please note that all photos enlarge when clicked.
Mission San José
Misión San José y San José de Aguayo, was established in 1720.
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| Mission San José, San Antonio, TX (2012) |
The church's baroque façade was restored in 1948. The mission's patron saint, San José (St. Joseph) is seen above the oval window. To the right is St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order and to the left is Saint Dominic, who had been a friend of St. Francis. Directly above the wood door is the Virgin of Guadalupe.
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| Front Façade, Mission San José, San Antonio, TX |
To the left and right of the door are statues of the Virgin Mary's parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne.
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| Front Façade, Mission San José, San Antonio, TX |
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| Rose Window, Mission San José, San Antonio, TX |
The church is built in the basilica style with one central aisle as was characteristic of most Franciscan mission churches in Mexico.
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| Mission San José, San Antonio, TX |
The altarpiece is elaborate and unusual in its coloration. Among some Pueblo groups, the color blue was sacred and had a special significance; I do not know if that has anything to do with the color of this altar, but it is a possibility to investigate.
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| Front Altar, Mission San José, San Antonio, TX |
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| Statue of Guadalupe, Mission San José, San Antonio, TX |
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| Cloisters, Mission San José, San Antonio, TX |
All of the San Antonio Missions, in addition to being center of religious conversion for the Coahuiltecan Indians, the indigenous peoples of Texas, were also centers of protection, assistance and education for them. These groups were preyed upon by roving bands of Apache and Comanches and the missions protected them from these depredations. In times of attack, the Coahuiltecans would retreat within the mission walls. Some of them actually lived within the missions in quarters such as those in the photo.
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| Former Indian Quarters, Mission San José, San Antonio, TX |
Mission Espada
Misión San Francisco de la Espada was established in 1690 in Augusta, TX and moved in 1731 to San Antonio.
It is unique among the missions, as well as among the majority of ex-conventos in Mexico, because it is once again an working Franciscan monastery.
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| Front Door, Mission Espada, San Antonio, TX |
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| Cloister, Mission Espada, San Antonio, TX |
The interior of this mission retains the original wood ceiling that was typical in the construction of the period. The church is intimate and charming.
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| Church Interior, Mission Espada, San Antonio, TX |
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| Front Altar area, Mission Espada, San Antonio, TX |
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| Statue of Christ Scourged, Mission Espada, San Antonio, TX |
Mission Concepción
Misión Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Acuña was established in a different location in Texas in 1716 and then moved in 1731 to San Antonio. Of all the missions, it was the best-preserved and least altered building, although like all the others it has required extensive renovation.
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Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX
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| Mission Concepción, showing cloister, San Antonio, TX |
The altars in the church are modern and lack the carved altarpieces typically seen in Mexican colonial churches.
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| Front Altar, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
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| View of Organ Loft, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
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| Ciborium, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
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| Guadalupe Altar, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
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| Station of the Cross, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
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| Chapel, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
Mission Concepción has more early frescoes than the other missions and of these, only fragments remain. Wall frescoes were done for various purposes. Some were meant to teach the indigenous converts about Christianity, others were decorative architectural accents and still others were meant to cover-up building flaws. The painting immediately below resembles an altar and perhaps substituted for an altarpiece in the early days of the mission.
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| Fresco, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
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| Baptismal font with fresco above, Mission Concepcion, SanAntonio, TX |
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| Fresco fragment, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
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| Fresco fragment, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
Visitors can still see some of the mission's original architecture inside of the building's cloister. Here is an original staircase that went up to the office of a mission official.
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| Original Arched Stairway, Mission Concepción, San Antonio, TX |
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Misión San Juan Capistrano Mission was originally established in 1716 as Misión San Jose de los Nazonis and moved in 1731 to San Antonio. When I was there in 2012, the mission was under renovation and it was not possible to go inside. Subsequently it has been finished and is open to the public; I plan on returning to San Antonio in the fall (2015) and will be updating this post.
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| Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Antonio, TX (under renovation, 2102) |
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| Espedaña, Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Antonio, TX |
Cathedral of San Fernando
Although this is not a part of the San Antonio Missions Historical Park, this cathedral dating from 1750, is an historically important building and houses the remains of those killed in the Alamo. It is also one of the oldest active Roman Catholic Cathedrals in the US. It was from the tower of this building that in1836, at the beginning of the siege of the Alamo, General Santa Ana raised the red flag indicating that no one inside the Alamo was to be spared.
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| Cathedral of San Fernando, San Antonio, TX |
The building which has been renovated several times is beautifully restored.
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| Cathedral of San Fernando, San Antonio, TX |
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| Main Altar, Cathedral of San Fernando, San Antonio, TX |
The Spanish crown ordered San Antonio settled by a group of people from various places, including a contingent sent from the Canary Islands. The statue of Our Lady of Candelaria honors this group.
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| Altar of Our Lady of Candelaria, San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio, TX |
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| Cathedral of San Fernando, San Antonio, TX |
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| Our Lady of Candelaria, Cathedral of San Fernando, San Antonio, TX |
An altar dedicated to Guadalupe is ubiquitous feature of most Mexican churches since Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of Mexico.
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| Altar of Guadalupe, San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio, TX |
Remains of the men who died at the Alamo are enshrined within the Cathedral as is written on the plaque in the photo below.
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| Plaque Commemorating Heroes of Alamo, Cathedral of San Fernando, San Antonio, TX |
and there is a small coffin holding what are believed to be the ashes and charred bones
of the Alamo heroes.
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| Small Coffin holding charred remains and ashes of Alamo Heroes, Cathedral of San Fernando San Antonio, TX |
An Accessible Piece of Old Mexico
It is easy to forget that Texas is more than cowboys, barbecue and that up until 1845 it was a part of Mexico. Yet, some three hours west of Houston, colonial Mexico still lives. San Antonio and its missions still offer an authentic experience of the world of Colonial Mexico, conveniently located on US soil, and the whole city retains a Mexican cultural flavor and identity making it a place that is not to be missed.
