During a recent trip to Tucson I asked the staff at the hospital if they had any recommendations for sight-seeing in the area - preferably something with some historical significance. They recommended the Mission San Xavier del Bac. Xavieer (pronounced "hauv-e-air") and "del bac" which means where water appears.
The mission is 10 miles southwest of Tucson. Built in 1783 (replacing the original that was destroyed) it sits on the land of the Tohono O'odham Indians.
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| Notice the unfinished tower on the right. Staff at the hospital told me the legend is that everytime they tried to finish the tower, someone died. Most recently there was a fire in this part of the mission. |
The interior is filled with paintings and carvings. Its very colorful, a mix of spanish and Native American influenced art. While not as ornate (ie I didn't see all the gold that I saw in churches in Europe) it was very striking.
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| I would like to have had this photo without other visitors but it was crowded and I figured it would have been rude to ask them all to move so I could take a photo |
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| The dome is 52 ft high and full of beautiful paintings |
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| Similar to the large cathedrals in Europe, the mission is tall and narrow (a guide in Florence, Italy told us that the design is intended to make people feel small and insignificant and the artwork a form of education since most people could not read) |
According to some of the reference material I found, some Italian artists that worked on the Sistine Chapel came to help restore the interior of the mission (I do not know if that is accurate)
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| There was a body of some sort - truthfully I didn't study it long enough to determine what it was. I'm guessing it was a carving as it wasn't enclosed. There were several things pinned to it - from other visitors, including a photo which I thought was a little strange. I was unable to find a reference about this. |
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| This plaque was near the body (photo above) |
The grounds were very interesting. There was a large hill with a cross at the top. There is a path to walk all the way around.
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| Lions guard the entrance to the path around the hill |
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| In the distance you see the mountains |
Here's a link to an article from the USAToday that shares details about a $2.5 million restoration project. It provides details about the mission.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-01-28-arizona-mission_N.htm
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