Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, known by locals as Mission San José, has been dubbed "Queen of the Spanish Missions" due to it's grandeur and sheer size. Mission San José was named for Saint Joseph and the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo, who was the governor of the Province of Coahuila and Texas at the time.

Mission San José was founded in 1720 and was the largest of the missions in the area, built on the banks of the San Antonio river several miles south of San Antonio de Valero, or the Alamo. During the height of the mission era, Mission San José housed approximately 350 Native Americans who worked the mission's extensive fields and large herds of livestock. Mission San José was considered a prime model in mission excellence and thus gained the reputation as a major social and cultural center. The complex of stone walls, bastions, granary and church were completed by 1782.

Mission San José was a natural target for raids by Apache and Comanche natives. Although the mission could not prevent attacks on their livestock or residents working in the fields, the mission was almost impregnable. The residents learned to defend themselves from the raids. The residents were already very proficient with bows and arrows but they also learned how to use guns and cannons.

La Ventana de Rosa, or the Rose Window, is located on the southern wall of the church. The window has been described as the site where a Host was shown to gathered mission residents during the Feast of Pentecost. Sculpted in circa 1775, the Rose Window has been an object of admiration and also legend as the origin of the name is still to this day unknown. Legend has it being named for a woman named Rosa, the bethrothed of Juan Huizar, the alleged creator of the window. The Rose Window is considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the United States.

The church and friary are still in active use and every Sunday Mass is held for a large congregation.

Location: San Antonio Missions State Park, San Antonio, Texas

If you like it enough to download it please leave a comment or it!

STOCK RULES & TERMS OF USE