San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church
Encyclopedia
San Francisco de Asis Mission Church is a church built between 1772 and 1816. It is located on the plaza in Ranchos de Taos, itself a historic district
named Ranchos de Taos Plaza
, about four miles southwest of the town of Taos, New Mexico
.
Construction on the church began around 1772 and was completed in 1815 by Franciscan Fathers and its patron is Saint Francis of Assisi
. It is made of adobe
as are many of the Spanish missions in New Mexico
. It is located a few miles south of Taos Pueblo
and has inspired among the greatest number of depictions of any building in the United States. It was the subject of four paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe
, and photographs by Ansel Adams
and Paul Strand
. Georgia O'Keeffe described it as, "one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards."
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1970. It is also designated as a World Heritage church.
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
named Ranchos de Taos Plaza
Ranchos de Taos Plaza
Ranchos de Taos Plaza is a historic district in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, about four miles south of the town of Taos, New Mexico.It includes San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church, a U.S. National Historic Landmark.-External links:*...
, about four miles southwest of the town of Taos, New Mexico
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
.
Construction on the church began around 1772 and was completed in 1815 by Franciscan Fathers and its patron is Saint Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
. It is made of adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
as are many of the Spanish missions in New Mexico
Spanish missions in New Mexico
The Spanish Missions in New Mexico were a series of religious outposts established by Franciscan friars under charter from the governments of Spain and New Spain to convert the local Pueblo, Navajo and Apache Indians to Christianity. The missions also aimed to pacify and Hispanicize the natives...
. It is located a few miles south of Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
and has inspired among the greatest number of depictions of any building in the United States. It was the subject of four paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe was an American artist.Born near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O'Keeffe first came to the attention of the New York art community in 1916, several decades before women had gained access to art training in America’s colleges and universities, and before any of its women artists...
, and photographs by Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
and Paul Strand
Paul Strand
Paul Strand was an American photographer and filmmaker who, along with fellow modernist photographers like Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston, helped establish photography as an art form in the 20th century...
. Georgia O'Keeffe described it as, "one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards."
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1970. It is also designated as a World Heritage church.
Further reading
- Spirit and Vision: Images of Ranchos de Taos Church. 1987, Museum of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0890131708. 80 images of the church, from a 1982 exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe.
External links
- Mission Church of Ranchos de Taos, Ranchos de Taos, Taos County, NM: 2 color and 32 b&w photos, 12 drawings, 2 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey