Accurate renderings of 21 structures: San Diego de Alcalá, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Clara de Asís, San José de Guadalupe, Santa Cruz, many more, plus realistic vignettes of mission life. Captions.

In the year 1769 Spanish solders with some Franciscan Padres came to a place called San Diego. The military moved northward to Monterey but some Padres stayed behind and started the first mission in Alta California, mission San Diego de Alcal. The next mission was in Monterey San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo in 1770, the last mission was Sonoma in 1823. These 21 missions are the last of the Spanish missions anywhere in the world.

Mission paintings and painted sculpture of the Spanish and Mexican eras.

Have you visited one or more of the Old Spanish California Missions? Read about the author's journey through all of the twenty-one Missions in California along with his wife Mary, and their daughter Anaïs. In this book you will find interesting facts and characteristics particular to each Mission. In California Missions, Visiting All 21, author Paul Rallion provides useful information that you can use to make your trip more informative and enjoyable. Second Edition: new pictures, computer drawings of all 21 Missions by the author, with a section to take notes during your trip(s) to the Missions. Look for the Spanish version of this book: Las Misiones de California, Visitando las 21, by Paul Rallion.

"Illustrated in color throughout, The California Missions: History, Art, and Preservation combines engaging text with historical paintings, archival photographs, and recent photography to create a vivid chronicle of these iconic institutions. The narrative recounts their founding and early history, surveys mission art and architecture, and examines their role in shaping the history and culture of California. A final chapter discusses recent advances in preserving the mission heritage for future generations. The second part of the book provides concise historical profiles for each of the twenty-one missions." --Book Jacket.

The California missions are the cathedrals of the New World. They were built under the direction of the adventurous padres who braved the hardships of the New World and organized an existing agrarian culture to produce viable military, commercial, and religious centers. Even though created with primitive means from mud and wood, these structures were elegant and represented the taste and culture of the Spanish empire at its height. With nearly 800 photos and plans, this book visually documents rustic, elegant features, artistic details, and general architectural significance of each of the twenty-one missions. Searching for the roots of mission architecture, this comprehensive study starts by looking at precedents including Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Renaissance, and Native American influences. From there the book delves into how the missions influenced later American architecture, followed by specific characteristics of the style and a mission-by-mission overview. Complete with details on elevations, lighting fixtures, doorways, and more, this is an ideal book for anyone seeking architectural inspiration.

Charts the histories of the California missions of Santa Barbara, La Purisima Concepcion, and Santa Ines, and briefly describes life among the Chumash Indians before the arrival of the Spaniards.