Showing Lynne the Sights

My company left this morning and now I have time to post again. While I catch my breath I will be showing you some of the photos I took during our sight seeing trips.

The first one is of Lynne on the covered patio at San Xavier del Bac Mission. The next two are photos taken at the Mission. It is being restored and they are still re-plastering the exterior. Notice how white the left side is. The right side is waiting until they finish the back. The interior is finished and the paintings are vivid. I had photos of the interior on a previous blog. The next two photos are taken of the exterior of San Xavier.

This day was our Mission trip. If you want to view a photo of San Jose de Tumacacori you can find it on a previous post. I seem to be unable to add another photo to this post.

The last one is of the mountains near the Mexico border en route to Tumacacori.

Some facts about the Missions:

SAN XAVIER DEL BAC

San Xavier del Bac was originally built on a site several miles north of the current location. The site was named Bac, meaning "Place where water appears." Between January, 1692 and 1700 a Jesuit Father Eusibio Francisco Kino laid the foundations of the first church. It was destroyed by the Apache Indians in 1770 and the site was moved to the Presidio Tucson for protection where it is located now.

Charles III of Spain mistrusted the Jesuits and banned them from all Spanish lands in the Americas. The Franciscan order then took over the Missions.

The present church, fondly nicknamed The White Dove Of the Desert, was built in 1783-1797 with Indian labor and was established by Franciscan Fathers Juan Bautista Velderrain and Juan Bautista Llorenz. (Juan Bautista must have been popular names in those days.) It is considered to be the finest example of Spanish Mission architecture in the United States consisting of a seamless blend of Moorish, Byzantine, and late Mexican Renaissance architecture.

The missing tower is still a mystery. Some say an Indian fell to his death while constructing it, but the truth is still elusive. Other legends cite that unfinished buildings weren't taxed so the last bell tower was left unfinished.

The church is an active one serving the converted Christian O'odam tribe (formerly known as the Papagos) and is open to all for worship.


MISSION SAN JOSE DE TUMACACORI

Father Eusebio Francisco Kino founded Tumacacori in January, 1691. The original mission was on a different site, but was relocated to it's present site in 1751 after a rebellion by the O'odams Indians. The Franciscans restored it to it's present form in 1828.

FATHER EUSEBIO FRANCISCO KINO

Father Kino was born in Italy in 1645. He died in 1711 in Mexico. His birth surname was Chino. He founded 24 missions and country chapels in Northern Mexico and Southern Arizona. Father Kino traveled 50,000 sq. miles on horseback mapping an area 200 miles long and 250 miles wide. He was an astronomer, cartographer, and writer. He taught the Indians basic farming and brought seed and animals to them.

And thus ends our first sight seeing day. More tomorrow.