Mission Espada Door - BW

Mission San Francisco de la Espada, founded in 1690 as San Francisco de los Tejas, is the oldest of the East Texas mission. The mission moved to its... more

by Stephen Stookey

Title

Mission Espada Door - BW

Artist

Stephen Stookey

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Mission San Francisco de la Espada, founded in 1690 as San Francisco de los Tejas, is the oldest of the East Texas mission. The mission moved to its present location in 1731 with the name San Francisco de la Espada. The Spanish mission enterprise, by government/church policy sought to recreate Spanish village life. Indigenous inhabitants learned vocations from the Franciscan friars--e.g., agriculture, weaving, blacksmithing, carpentry, masonry, stone-cutting, and brick-making. [Mission Espada was the only San Antonio mission that made bricks.] Mission Espada still retains the feel of an isolated mission on the Texas frontier. A small group of Franciscan brothers still serve the picturesque mission church. The broken arch doorway leading into the sanctuary provides Mission Espada its signature architectural feature.

The San Antonio Missions (The Alamo & San Antonio Missions National Historical Park) is an inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Image captured with a Canon 5D Mark III & Canon 24-105 f/4L IS USM lens.

FAA Featured Image:
Forward Exposure
5/27/2015

Uploaded

May 23rd, 2015