Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
San Gabriel Archángel
San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Santa Bárbara
San Buonaventura
Santa Inés
San Fernando Rey de España
This site is devoted to one of the oldest historical monuments in the state of California: Spanish missions. They were founded by Spanish missionaries mostly along the coast of California. On this site you can find brief information and pictures showing some of them. The original biuldings were all destroyed by earthquakes and fire and later were reconstructed. We invite you to visit these monuments reflecting early California history.
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Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
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This mission is situated almost in the center of the beautiful town of San Luis Obispo, that is a kind of a cultural center on the middle coast of California. Look for yourself: SLO, how it is usually called for short, is almost in between Los Angeles and San Francisco, close enough but not right on the sea coast, the climate there is perfect and there are all kinds of cultural events there such as theatre, art festivals, music performances, etc. The town is popular with tourists, prices there are very expensive. We found the mission just driving around San Luis. It is a beautiful old building and it includes the traditional mission complex: headquarters, kitchen, chapel. This mission has one of the most spectacular gardens (not that spectacular like in San Diego) but still splendid with fruit trees and vines. There is also a baking oven there. The porch is built from bricks that you won't see often in other missions buildings.
Known as the Queen of the Missions Santa Bárbara is located inthe town with the same name. The facade is beautiful, no argument about that but the garden there is not very impressive. It look more like an ordinary park on the gloomy day though that day the sun shone quite brightly. The colour of the church building is an interesting pinkish though the rest is the usual white. . The restrooms there have curtains instead of doors. This mission is a big tourist attraction and admission price is quite high.
The mission was founded in 1786 by Fr. Fermín Lasuén. It was destroyed several times by earthquakes and rebuilt again. Today it consists of the main church, garden, museum that tells a history of the mission and a gift shop with all kinds of staff.
Santa Inés resembles in appearance mission San Luis Rey near Oceanside. This is one of the smallest mission and it was still being restored when we were there. It is located in the nice quiet country. There is a garden and museum there.
Santa Inés was founded in 1804 by Fr. Estévan Tápis. Named for St. Agnes (Inés in Spanish), it served as temporary quarters for the College of Our lady of Refuge of Sinners, first educational institution in California. Due to its unique location: a valley of Santa Ynez near the town of the same name it is known as "hidden gem of the missions".
This mission is built in typical Spanich colonial style that is so characteristic for the missions and many other buildings in California. The facade with long porch decorated with arches is also very typical: you'll find the same structure in the mission of San Luis Rey. Due to its location and the fact that it is under construction there are not many visitors there.
Mission San Buonaventura is another small mission is situated right in the town of Ventura. Ventura is an old town with quite a big downtown area full of antique stores. The town is south of Santa Barbara and the beach is ugly there. In the mission there is not much: the church, the yard and an outside area behind a wall with an ancient well on the background of new houses.
It is the last of the missions founded by Fr. Serra in 1782. It was originally situated in the Indian village.
This mission is located in the town of San Fernando that is an outskirt part of Los Angeles megapolis. In fact we've never see the mission. There were too many trees and fences that made the main facade invisible. There is quite a big gift shop there. We were lucky to make one picture (it shown the inner yard of the mission) since it was about to close when we came there. The fountain is another typical feature of California missions.
It was founded in 1797 by Fr. Fermín Lasuén. It is name for Ferdinand III, King of Spain (1217-1252) who was the uncle of St. Louis IX (San Louis Rey de Francia). King Ferdinand is famous for the liberation of Spain from Saracens. He also was very religious, reestablished Catholicism in the country. For example he turned the famous mosques in Cordova and Seville into Catholic cathedrals.