San Juan Capistrano Mission

January 19, 2020 Amanda Luiso

Visited the Mission at San Juan Capistrano on a rainy day. This is the mission/town famous for the swallows that nest there seasonally. It is also known for it’s bells. The main chapel was destroyed by an earthquake but it has a small chapel and gardens. Also interesting exhibits about early Spanish colonial life and the native people who lived and worked in the area. The set up seems to be geared towards school children so I would guess this is a frequent field trip site. There were very few people there when we sent but it was Dec 23 and rainy.

Like monasteries, the mission is made up of long buildings and arcades around a central courtyard

Maybe this is a swallow?

Spanish Saddle

The mission was like a small village that was self sufficient

They made wine, had gardens, a blacksmith, etc

There is a library building beyond the mission we didn't visit

Picnic area

the thing that looks like a tree in the middle of a pond was actually a working fountain

Fountain in the middle of a koi pond

The chapel

The famous bells, rung by Nixon and his wife at one point

Artificial swallows nests, to encourage them to come back

The part of the church that was destroyed by earthquake

The church was completed in 1806 and fell in 1812, killing 40 people during mass

it was never rebuilt

birds of paradise

steel wires support the soft stone buttresses

not sure if these were real or artificial swallows nests