Mission San Juan Capistrano

Here is another religious community that I came across recently. San Juan Capistrano was one of the Spanish missions in Southern California , and existed as a mission from 1769 to 1833. These missions were self-supporting communities, but I don't think most of the people living in them were there willingly. The Spanish pretty much enslave the local native population under the justification of forcing their religion and education on them. But that's not really want I want to get into.

I think the layout of these missions is worth looking into. The buildings are arranged several courtyards. All the different functions are arranged around these spaces, such as residences, dining facilities, chapels, storerooms, and workshops, among others. The farm fields surround the complex on the outside.



Most of San Juan Capistrano is now in ruins, but some of it has been restored into a museum and gardens. Part of the missions' legacy is that many towns and cities in California and some other states originated as Spanish Missions. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego are a few. San Antonio, Texas, and Saint Augustine, Florida, may also have some mission origins.