New Mexico - Santa Fe

 

We drove to Santa Fe one day, about 55 miles north of Albuquerque.   It is the 42^nd state capitol we have visited.   Santa Fe claims to be the oldest capitol in the U.S. with the newest capitol building.  The Palace of the Governors was built in 1609 and served as the seat of the Spanish, Mexican, and American governments.  Today it is the New Mexico State History Museum.  The new capitol building itself was built in 1966 and is shaped as the Zia sun symbol, a circular sun with linear rays extending in four directions. 

The symbol was found on a 19^th century water jar from Zia Pueblo; it embodies the four directions of the earth, the four seasons of the year, the four times of day – sunrise, noon, evening, and night, and life’s four divisions – childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age.    Although the exterior of the building is very simple, the New Mexico art collections displayed throughout the interior are beautiful.  

We visited the San Miguel Mission, the oldest church in the U.S, built in 1610.  The foundation of the original church can still be seen under the sanctuary of the present structure.   In addition, archaeological investigations below the original foundation revealed evidence of Native American occupation of the site dating back to the 1300s. There is a carved wooden statue of St. Michael the Archangel dating back to at least 1709 and the alter screen dates from 1798. 
The San Jose Bell on display in the sanctuary once hung in the church’s bell tower and has an inscription dated December 9, 1356.  It is believed the bell was brought from Mexico in 1712. Sunday mass is still celebrated here.  Amazing history!

Leaving San Miguel Mission, we enjoyed a nice lunch on the balcony of a small restaurant, overlooking the town square.  We then walked to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.  This large beautiful cathedral was first erected on this site in 1610.
It was destroyed by the Indian revolt of 1680 and was not rebuilt until 1714.  The Chapel of Our Lady La Conquistadora, on the left side of the cathedral, is the only remaining part of the 1714 building.  This chapel contains a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary which was brought to Santa Fe in 1626.  The cornerstone for the present Cathedral was laid in 1869 although the church was not consecrated until 1895.  The building has undergone numerous renovations and additions since then and it is truly beautiful.  

We visited the 131 year old Loretto Chapel, known for its “miraculous staircase”.   The small narrow chapel originally had a ladder leading to the choir loft.   However, as the chapel served the religious needs of a school for young women, the choir loft was not accessible to the nuns wearing their habits.  There wasn’t space for a traditional staircase so the nuns prayed for a miracle.  A mysterious carpenter showed up and over a period of several months, constructed a staircase with two 360-degree turns and no nails or screws (wooden pegs only) for support.   The carpenter then departed abruptly without seeking payment.  The staircase still stands and its construction style continues to mystify visitors.  (I'm not sure what happened but somehow I seem to have deleted all photos of the Loretto Chapel.)

 

On our way out of town, we stopped by the oldest shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the U.S. and then climbed up to the Cross of the Martyrs, dedicated to the 21 Franciscans killed during the Indian revolt of 1680.   We covered a lot of historic sites and had a great day.