San Antonio Texas historic missions

San Antonio, Texas owes much of its rich heritage to the Spanish missionaries who discovered what was then a small tribe of Payaya Indians in 1718 along the meandering banks of the now named River of San Antonio.  This rich tradition makes the city one (among only four) of the most interesting cities in the United States.

Nothing could be more interesting for guests than visiting the San Antonio Texas historic missions, to witness relics of Spanish-colonial origin housed in 200-300-year-old edifices called missions.  A visit to the San Antonio Texas historic missions is comparable to a tour back in history to explore the culture and the many battles, making San Antonio a city of the old and the new.

The city of San Antonio has five missions all built around the 18th century by Spanish missionaries, particularly Franciscan friars.  Beside the San Antonio Texas historic missions are military forts, which were built to protect the missionaries and, whenever necessary, serve as reinforcement to the missionary argument.

The San Antonio Texas historic missions have no admission fees but donations are accepted to help maintain the missions.  The missions are open to visitors from Monday to Saturday, 9a.m.-5:30p.m., and Sundays at 10a.m.-5:30p.m.

San Antonio Texas historic missions
The Alamo dominates much of the history of San Antonio with major battles to resist Mexican rule happening in this mission.  The Alamo finally fell to Gen. Santa Anna’s 5,000-strong army who vanquished 200 men inside the mission on March 16, 1836, after 13 days of incessant attacks.  Also called Mission San Antonio de Valero, the original mission was made of crude huts that were later vanquished by a hurricane but the friars built a building on the same spot.

The most famous of the San Antonio Texas historic missions, the Alamo has one of the most photographed facades in the United States.  It sits on a picturesque sprawling green landscape.

Mission Concepcion is next in the mission trail.  This beautiful church looks exactly the same as it did about 200 years ago.  The church symbolized the Spanish friars successful attempts to replace the Native American religious rituals into religious rituals that began in 1731.

Mission San Francisco de la Espada is the mission built by retreating missionaries from East Texas.  The mission displays the very well preserved irrigation system consisting of the still in-use Espada dam and aqueduct – the best surviving irrigation network in the U.S.  It is now part of the National Historical Park and open only on a limited basis.

Established along the San Antonio River bank also in 1731, the Mission San Juan Capistrano is the last in the mission trail.  It was built on a rich agricultural ground, and became a significant supplier of food crops not only to the missions but also to the local settlements and presidio garrisons.

The five missions served more than just bastions of Catholicism – they were used as economic and educational centers, and military strongholds.  They are evidences to the first attempts of Spanish missionaries to inculcate religious ideals among the Native Americans.

The San Antonio Texas historic missions express a rich cultural heritage that makes San Antonio the city that it is today.