Mission San Francisco SolanoMission San Rafael ArcangelSan Francisco de AsisMission San JoseMission Santa Clara de AsisMission Santa CruzMission San Juan BautistaMission San Carlos Borromeo de CarmeloMission Nuestra Senora de la SoledadMission San Antonio de PaduaMission San Miguel ArcangelMission San Luis Obispo de TolosaMission La Purisima de CocepcionMission Santa InezMission Santa BarbaraMission San BuenaventuraMission San Fernando Rey de EspanaMission San Gabriel ArcangelMission San Juan CapistranoMission San Luis Rey de FranciaMission San Diego de AlcalaThe Spanish Missions of California
The Spanish Missions of California
To the left is a map of California and all the missions it contains: which is exactly twenty-one. If you click on a mission (the little yellow circles), it will tell you when it was founded*, who founded it, and other interesting facts about it. 

 

 

Be Sure to use the scroll-bar in your browser to see the whole map!

Mission San Juan Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano was the only mission to be founded twice. It was first done on October 30, 1775 by Father Lasuén because Father Serra was somewhere else. He hung the mission bells on a tree and started gathering natives to build the mission. Work stopped very soon, however, because the Father heard that San Diego had been attacked. He buried the bells and hurried back to San Diego to help. It was a whole year until the mission was re-founded by Father Serra on November 1, 1776; the seventh ever. He dug up the bells and re-dedicated the site*. Within a year, the Serra chapel, which is still there today, was built.Mission San Juan Capistrano is famous for its swallows. (A swallow is a type of bird which lives in "houses" made of mud on cliffs, under eaves, and other such overhangs). It is said that the Swallows return to their homes at the mission every year on March 19th. 

 
" ...This establishment was founded in the year 1776, and, though in the early years the largest in the country, is now in a dilapidated state, and the Indians are much neglected. There yet remains the ruins of an immense church, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1812, when many Indians were buried in its fall. It still bears the appearance of having been one of the best finished structures of the country and the workmanship displayed in the sculpture upon its walls and its vaulted roof would command admiration in our own country. The arrangement of the mission of St. Juan is similar to that of St. Luis; in fact, all these establishments are formed upon the same plan, and much resemble each other, varying only by their extent and population. In many of the villiages the residences consist of straw huts of an oval form, which, when decayed, the Indians set on fire and erect new ones -- here, however, they are built of unburnt brick, tiled and whitewashed, forming five or six blocks, or streets, which present a neat and comfortable appearance. " -- David Robinson, circa 1848, Life In California page 20. 
*Mission San Juan Capistrano Home Page
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