In 2020, Mission San José celebrated 300 years. As one of four missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, this UNESCO World Heritage site preserves and celebrates the Spanish heritage in Texas and the USA. The missions were built along the San Antonio River, and they are (from north to south of the river) Mission Concepción, Mission San José, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada.
Although not a part of the historic park system, there is a fifth and best-known mission: the Alamo. Mission San José was named after the Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo, José de Azlor y Virto de Vera, and was founded on February 23, 1720. This is the largest of the missions along the San Antonio River. For that reason, this mission is known as the Queen of Missions, according to the National Park Service (NPS) website.
The National Park Service provides the following information about this mission:
“The mission was moved twice before it found its current site. The first site was moved perhaps to make room for another mission, San Francisco Xavier Najera. The second location was too close to the river and the mission suffered heavy losses due to an epidemic. The mission was then moved a third time to its current location around 1740. The stone walls were completed in 1755. The walls had two purposes, protection from hostile threats, and living quarters for the indigenous people.”
For clarification purposes, when it is mentioned that the site was moved, that is about the mission itself and not the physical structures (the buildings).
This is the well-known Rose Window. NPS says this is a prime example of “Spanish Colonial ornamentation in the United States.”
Not much is known about its history or who the sculptor was. Folklore gives credit to Pedro Huizar. He was a Spanish carpenter. The story says he was “carving the famous window as a monument to his sweetheart, Rosa. Tragically, on her way from Spain to join him, Rosa was lost at sea. Pedro then completed the window as a declaration of enduring love.” Another theory, according to NPS, is that the window was named after Saint Rosa of Lima the “first saint of the New World.”
It is interesting to note that Spanish missions were not churches. They were communities surrounding a church. The community used this mill to produce flour for surrounding communities.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked these photos, you might also be interested in other posts featuring Churches, Mission San José, National Historic Parks, San Antonio, San Antonio NHP, Texas, and UNESCO World Heritage. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
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Toonsarah
Lovely shots of a beautiful building and interesting info about the missions too.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Sarah.
Anne Sandler
This is a beautiful mission Egidio. California has 21 missions founded by the Spanish. It runs up the coast and is called the El Camino Real.
Egidio Leitao
That would be an interesting trip to visit those missions. Thanks for your compliment, Anne.
Leanne Cole
Incredible.
Egidio Leitao
It’s my favorite of the missions.
Jane Lurie
How beautiful. Great shots of this intriguing place.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, again, Jane. Those missions are beautiful places.