San Antonio Missions symbolize an era when the world was expanding, the culture was intertwining, and the global landscape was forever changed. Today they remain a thriving religious center for many San Antonians and a historic destination for the entire world to enjoy.
San Antonio’s five Spanish colonial missions (Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan, Espada, and Valero, also known as the Alamo) are the largest collection of Spanish colonial architecture in the world. In partnership with the Catholic Church, the missions were established in the early 1700s by the Spanish Crown as it expanded its empire in the Americas. Through mission life, the local indigenous people were taught the ideals of Spanish citizenship which included conversion to Catholicism.
Straddling either side of the spring-fed San Antonio River, the five missions are uniquely close to one another, each approximately three miles from the next. They proved critical to Texas history and heritage, shaping the San Antonio landscape with their acequias, farm fields, ranch lands and mission communities. Indigenous people and people from around the empire of New Spain were brought together to claim this land. Their blended technology, art, and lifeways form the South Texas culture that we have today.
Link To National Park: San Antonio Missions National Park
Concepcion Mission
Espada Mission
San Jose Mission
San Juan Mission
