In 2015, San Antonio Missions National Historic Park received the designation “UNESCO World Heritage Site.” It is the only place in Texas to receive the honor, and one of only 24 in the entire United States. It nearly goes without saying that this is a very special National Park.
These missions were built in the early 18th century by the Franciscan Order of monks. As the first Spanish settlement in southeastern Texas, they were designed in the Spanish Colonial style. Every mission was spaced three miles apart – a day’s journey from one to the next. They are named Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. (We will see the first constructed mission, Mission San Antonio de Valero – the Alamo – in the next post.) For sustainable human and agricultural purposes, the missionaries also built irrigation canals, which are shown in the video.
If you are in the city of San Antonio, Texas, make time to see these amazing places.