The City of San Antonio, Texas, was founded largely by the efforts of Antonio Olivares, a Spanish monk born in 1630, known colloquially as simply San Antonio. San Antonio is also responsible for celebrating the first Roman Catholic mass in Texas. He was instrumental in founding the institutions behind the San Antonio Missions tour.
The largest of the missions, regarded as the "Queen of the Missions, " is San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, now known more informally as Mission San Jose. Work began on its construction in 1720 and the mission was completed in 1782. In 1874, both the dome and the roof collapsed. The year 1928 saw the collapse of the church tower. The church itself is constructed of brightly colored stucco and Texas limestone.
Spectators on the tour should watch out for features such as intricate carvings, quatrefoil patterns, flying buttresses and the famous Rose Window. The choir loft is formed from a total of 25 risers, all of which were carved by hand from the same log. The structure contains no nails or pegs.
Contrary to what might be expected, the famous Rose Window does not follow the same pattern as most other windows that bear the same generic description. In general, the conventional medieval rose window was an intricately-fashioned circle divided into wedges by a series of spoke-like devices known as mullions and tracery. An alternative nickname for this type of feature is "wheel window."
The Rose Window at the church in San Jose bears no resemblance whatsoever to the other so-named windows of its time, the mid-eighteenth century. When it was set in place in 1770, the San Jose Rose Window was considered the most grandiose and ornate feature in the entire country. Situated just over four feet off the ground, the window stands seven feet high. The origin of its name remains unknown to this day.
The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park encompasses three other Franciscan edifices. These are Mission San Francisco de la Espada (Mission Espada), Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion de Acuna (Mission Concepcion), dedicated in 1755, and Mission San Juan de Capistrano, which was completed in 1756. The latter, Mission San Juan Capistrano, should not be mixed up with the mission in California, which is famous for the return of hoards of swallows each year during the month of March.
The fifth Spanish mission located in San Antonio, The Alamo, was the site of one of the defining battles in Texas history during the Texas War of Independence (otherwise known as the Texas Revolution). The war, lasting six months, was between the Mexican government and the colonists of Texas. That particular conflict ended with the formation of the Texan republic. Prior to the Mexican-American War that took place in 1848, Texas was formally entered into the union as the 28th state.
No longer a Roman Catholic church, the mission at The Alamo is now a museum in downtown San Antonio as part of the Alamo Plaza District. A viewing of each of the other Franciscan missions, located in the National Historical park, can be completed in roughly two to four hours per site. In total, the park is home to more than 180 species of bird. Admission to the park is free, as are the guided tours.
The largest of the missions, regarded as the "Queen of the Missions, " is San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, now known more informally as Mission San Jose. Work began on its construction in 1720 and the mission was completed in 1782. In 1874, both the dome and the roof collapsed. The year 1928 saw the collapse of the church tower. The church itself is constructed of brightly colored stucco and Texas limestone.
Spectators on the tour should watch out for features such as intricate carvings, quatrefoil patterns, flying buttresses and the famous Rose Window. The choir loft is formed from a total of 25 risers, all of which were carved by hand from the same log. The structure contains no nails or pegs.
Contrary to what might be expected, the famous Rose Window does not follow the same pattern as most other windows that bear the same generic description. In general, the conventional medieval rose window was an intricately-fashioned circle divided into wedges by a series of spoke-like devices known as mullions and tracery. An alternative nickname for this type of feature is "wheel window."
The Rose Window at the church in San Jose bears no resemblance whatsoever to the other so-named windows of its time, the mid-eighteenth century. When it was set in place in 1770, the San Jose Rose Window was considered the most grandiose and ornate feature in the entire country. Situated just over four feet off the ground, the window stands seven feet high. The origin of its name remains unknown to this day.
The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park encompasses three other Franciscan edifices. These are Mission San Francisco de la Espada (Mission Espada), Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion de Acuna (Mission Concepcion), dedicated in 1755, and Mission San Juan de Capistrano, which was completed in 1756. The latter, Mission San Juan Capistrano, should not be mixed up with the mission in California, which is famous for the return of hoards of swallows each year during the month of March.
The fifth Spanish mission located in San Antonio, The Alamo, was the site of one of the defining battles in Texas history during the Texas War of Independence (otherwise known as the Texas Revolution). The war, lasting six months, was between the Mexican government and the colonists of Texas. That particular conflict ended with the formation of the Texan republic. Prior to the Mexican-American War that took place in 1848, Texas was formally entered into the union as the 28th state.
No longer a Roman Catholic church, the mission at The Alamo is now a museum in downtown San Antonio as part of the Alamo Plaza District. A viewing of each of the other Franciscan missions, located in the National Historical park, can be completed in roughly two to four hours per site. In total, the park is home to more than 180 species of bird. Admission to the park is free, as are the guided tours.
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