As I stepped out of the back of Tumacacori mission, the first thing I saw was the mortuary chapel. This building was never completed and it is thought that it was intended to have a dome, to complement the dome on the mission. Instead, the chapel remains roofless. There is evidence that this unfinished chapel saw extensive use, but there are no improvements inside of it, just a dirt floor where everyone in attendance most likely stood or knelt. It is a round, roofless, adobe structure. Naturally, the mortuary chapel sits on the edge of the cemetery. The mission-era graves are either unmarked, lost or destroyed because the burials that are currently in place date from the early 1900s, with the most recent being 1916. However, it has been recorded that 593 burials took place from 1755 to 1825. Records of burials from 1825 to 1848, when the mission was abandoned, have never been found. There are references to an "old" cemetery, but the location of it is unknown. Around the present cemetery are 14 niches in the walls. These were once "stations of the cross."
The wall on the east side of the cemetery is higher than the other walls because it is the back wall of the granary that served the mission compound. Inside this former granary are some stairs that lead to nowhere in particular. They once led to a loft that has rotted away with the passage of time.
Just outside the doorway to the granary is the courtyard. This was the center of life for the mission compound. When I stood at the granary door, I saw a ruined portion of the former east wall of the courtyard. The courtyard, or plaza, was once surrounded by a carpenter's shop, ironworker's shop, weaving room, leather shop and grain grinding mill.
About 100 yards behind the mission compound, in a grassy area surrounded by trees, is an old lime kiln. It is basically a rock-lined hole in the ground. Raw material was brought from the Santa Rita Mountains to the east by ox carts and processed here. Lime plaster was applied to the walls of the buildings, usually two inches thick, to provide protection from moisture. About halfway down inside the rock-lined hole is a shelf were a metal grate once rested. Limestone was loaded onto the grate after a fire was built underneath and the rocks were "cooked" until they began to break open. After they broke open, they were hammered into a powder. Then the powder was put into water for a couple of days. After that, it was made into a paste by adding sand to it. This lime kiln is still in excellent condition and could be used today if that type of product was needed.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Mission Trail, part 6
Just outside the Visitors Center is a lovely garden. It is not the original garden, but a carefully recreated replica of a typical mission garden from that time.
Aside from the section that has native Sonoran Desert plants, it contains vegetation that was found in mission gardens everywhere in the 1600s.
As I walked out the back of the Visitors Center and stood at the trailhead, I saw a mound just to the left of the trail that runs from the Visitors Center to the front of the church. Beneath this mound are the foundations of several houses that were once occupied by Tohono O'odham Indians who lived at the mission compound.
As I continued down the trail, I arrived at the front of the church. It was once painted in bright colors, and faint traces of the paint are still visible under the window cornice. The columns were painted red, the capitals were painted yellow with black markings. The building's capitals have strong Egyptian influences.
The statue niches were once painted blue, and these niches are an example of Roman architecture. The are two other statue niches. These niches are Moorish in design because of the pointed arches.
The bell tower to the right of the front entrance appears to be in ruins, but in reality, it was never finished. It looks almost exactly the way it did in 1848, when the church was abandoned. The bell that hangs inside is not the original bell, but a replica.
After entering the church, it becomes apparent that the church was built in the form of a long hall. Many of the churches from that time were built in the form of a cross, but Tumacacori deviated from that design. There is no evidence that there were ever any pews, most likely parishioners stood or knelt during services. Next to each side wall are four indentations where lit candles were placed. Above the candle placements are statue niches.
Immediately inside the front entrance, to the right, is the baptistry. The adobe walls here are nine feet thick in order to support the massive bell tower directly above. There is a stairway that leads up to the tower and the entrance to the choir left, but it is closed to visitors. Evidently it is unsafe to use.
Back at the front entrance of the church, I saw where the choir loft used to be by the ruined support pillars, one on each side of the nave. Also, up above, the entrance to the choir loft is still in place. The entrance is at the top of the inaccessible stairs. Some pictures that are on display in the church show what the choir loft may have looked like in its day. It shows the two support pillars, now in ruins, rising up on each side and forming an arch above the nave. It shows the lower half of the pillars being brightly painted. The picture also shows a wooden rail running along the edge of a concrete platform where the choir once stood. The window that let sunlight into the choir loft is still there. It is directly above the church's front entrance.
As I ascended the steps that lead from the nave to the sanctuary, it became obvious that many of the original colors still adorn the walls. There are also picture frames and stenciling still visible. the paint is faded here too, but it is more visible than anywhere else in the church. Tha altar at the back of the sanctuary still bears evidence of the magnificence it once possessed. There is an outline of the artwork that was once behind the altar that looked sort of like a fireplace in its upper portion and the lower portion looked like something out of ancient Israel with a painting of an arched entryway flanked by columns on both sides. The upper portion is still plainly visible has has deteriorated very little over the years. It looks like all sorts of colors were used to paint the sanctuary; blues, yellows, reds, golds and several other colors, too. This must have been a magnificent place at one time!
Off to the side of the sanctuary, on the right, is the sacristy, where priests kept clothing and articles used in their ceremonies. They also documented and stored records of important events in this room.
In the next edition of this blog, I will take you on a tour of the outside of Tumacacori Mission. I will tell you what I saw in the mission compound, which is still quite extensive.
Aside from the section that has native Sonoran Desert plants, it contains vegetation that was found in mission gardens everywhere in the 1600s.
As I walked out the back of the Visitors Center and stood at the trailhead, I saw a mound just to the left of the trail that runs from the Visitors Center to the front of the church. Beneath this mound are the foundations of several houses that were once occupied by Tohono O'odham Indians who lived at the mission compound.
As I continued down the trail, I arrived at the front of the church. It was once painted in bright colors, and faint traces of the paint are still visible under the window cornice. The columns were painted red, the capitals were painted yellow with black markings. The building's capitals have strong Egyptian influences.
The statue niches were once painted blue, and these niches are an example of Roman architecture. The are two other statue niches. These niches are Moorish in design because of the pointed arches.
The bell tower to the right of the front entrance appears to be in ruins, but in reality, it was never finished. It looks almost exactly the way it did in 1848, when the church was abandoned. The bell that hangs inside is not the original bell, but a replica.
After entering the church, it becomes apparent that the church was built in the form of a long hall. Many of the churches from that time were built in the form of a cross, but Tumacacori deviated from that design. There is no evidence that there were ever any pews, most likely parishioners stood or knelt during services. Next to each side wall are four indentations where lit candles were placed. Above the candle placements are statue niches.
Immediately inside the front entrance, to the right, is the baptistry. The adobe walls here are nine feet thick in order to support the massive bell tower directly above. There is a stairway that leads up to the tower and the entrance to the choir left, but it is closed to visitors. Evidently it is unsafe to use.
Back at the front entrance of the church, I saw where the choir loft used to be by the ruined support pillars, one on each side of the nave. Also, up above, the entrance to the choir loft is still in place. The entrance is at the top of the inaccessible stairs. Some pictures that are on display in the church show what the choir loft may have looked like in its day. It shows the two support pillars, now in ruins, rising up on each side and forming an arch above the nave. It shows the lower half of the pillars being brightly painted. The picture also shows a wooden rail running along the edge of a concrete platform where the choir once stood. The window that let sunlight into the choir loft is still there. It is directly above the church's front entrance.
As I ascended the steps that lead from the nave to the sanctuary, it became obvious that many of the original colors still adorn the walls. There are also picture frames and stenciling still visible. the paint is faded here too, but it is more visible than anywhere else in the church. Tha altar at the back of the sanctuary still bears evidence of the magnificence it once possessed. There is an outline of the artwork that was once behind the altar that looked sort of like a fireplace in its upper portion and the lower portion looked like something out of ancient Israel with a painting of an arched entryway flanked by columns on both sides. The upper portion is still plainly visible has has deteriorated very little over the years. It looks like all sorts of colors were used to paint the sanctuary; blues, yellows, reds, golds and several other colors, too. This must have been a magnificent place at one time!
Off to the side of the sanctuary, on the right, is the sacristy, where priests kept clothing and articles used in their ceremonies. They also documented and stored records of important events in this room.
In the next edition of this blog, I will take you on a tour of the outside of Tumacacori Mission. I will tell you what I saw in the mission compound, which is still quite extensive.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Mission Trail, part 5
A few miles south of Tubac Presidio State Historic Park is another remnant of Spanish exploration of southern Arizona. It is called Tumacacori National Historical Park. It is pronounced "tomb-a-cock-a-ree." The mission was established in 1691 by Eusebio Francisco Kino, a Spanish missionary. To this day, he is still very well respected on both sides of the border. Many homes in Mexico have a painting of Kino hanging on the wall. He is also greatly admired by members of the Tohono O'odham tribe.
The establishment of Tumacacori later led to the establishment of Tubac Presidio
four and a half miles farther north. The presidio was built to protect the mission after several raids by Pima Indians. Initially, Tumacacori was managed by Jesuits, but, in 1767, King Charles III of Spain banished the Jesuits from areas under his control. After that, Franciscans took control of Spanish missionary efforts in the New World. In the early 1800s, Narciso Gutierrez began building the present structure to replace the modest structure that was built in 1757. Although Tumacacori was established as a mission in 1691, it did not have a dedicated church building until 1757. Various factors delayed construction of the present building, such as Mexico's war for independence from Spain that ended in 1821. After all
Spanish-born residents were forced to leave Mexico and then series of Apache raids
and the American war with Mexico in 1848, the continuous residency of Tumacacori that was established by Kino was severed.
Although Kino established the Tumacacori Mission, he was never a resident priest there, though he visited the place on many occasions. He established his headquarters 55 miles south, in what is now northern Mexico, at a mission called Nuestra Senora de los Dolores. Kino was 42 years old when he and three other Jesuit "black robes" were assigned to the Pimeria Alta in 1687. It was four years later that Tumacacori was established at Kino's direction. Its full name was
San Cayetano de Tumacacori, but when the first dedicated church building was completed in 1757, the name was changed to San Jose de Tumacacori.
Today, the Tumacacori Mission is still impressive, even though it is in a ruined state. Its gleaming white dome can be seen for miles and can easily be seen by travelers on Interstate 19 nearby. Most of the interior deterioration was caused by the fact that the building sat roofless for approximately sixty years. New roofs have been built several times over the years to protect it from further deterioration. The front of the church is absolutely amazing in the fact that is displays examples of Spanish, Moorish, Roman and Egyptian architectural influences. Even today, experts come from all over the country to admire the church's amazing architecture.
It is with this introduction that I will begin my tour of San Jose de Tumacacori Mission in the next edition of this blog.
The establishment of Tumacacori later led to the establishment of Tubac Presidio
four and a half miles farther north. The presidio was built to protect the mission after several raids by Pima Indians. Initially, Tumacacori was managed by Jesuits, but, in 1767, King Charles III of Spain banished the Jesuits from areas under his control. After that, Franciscans took control of Spanish missionary efforts in the New World. In the early 1800s, Narciso Gutierrez began building the present structure to replace the modest structure that was built in 1757. Although Tumacacori was established as a mission in 1691, it did not have a dedicated church building until 1757. Various factors delayed construction of the present building, such as Mexico's war for independence from Spain that ended in 1821. After all
Spanish-born residents were forced to leave Mexico and then series of Apache raids
and the American war with Mexico in 1848, the continuous residency of Tumacacori that was established by Kino was severed.
Although Kino established the Tumacacori Mission, he was never a resident priest there, though he visited the place on many occasions. He established his headquarters 55 miles south, in what is now northern Mexico, at a mission called Nuestra Senora de los Dolores. Kino was 42 years old when he and three other Jesuit "black robes" were assigned to the Pimeria Alta in 1687. It was four years later that Tumacacori was established at Kino's direction. Its full name was
San Cayetano de Tumacacori, but when the first dedicated church building was completed in 1757, the name was changed to San Jose de Tumacacori.
Today, the Tumacacori Mission is still impressive, even though it is in a ruined state. Its gleaming white dome can be seen for miles and can easily be seen by travelers on Interstate 19 nearby. Most of the interior deterioration was caused by the fact that the building sat roofless for approximately sixty years. New roofs have been built several times over the years to protect it from further deterioration. The front of the church is absolutely amazing in the fact that is displays examples of Spanish, Moorish, Roman and Egyptian architectural influences. Even today, experts come from all over the country to admire the church's amazing architecture.
It is with this introduction that I will begin my tour of San Jose de Tumacacori Mission in the next edition of this blog.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)