Photo "Shadows on the past"

photo:

Shadows on the past

photographer:

Chig add to favorites

section:

+ discussion

categories:

architecture, travel, landscape

tags:

North America

place:

notes:

This was just a wonderful corner of the roof top that caught some light and shadow from the scafolding in the restoration effort on San Xavier del Bac. Many years ago there were stone lions perched up there. The outside has seen its share of rennovations. The inside was only just recently restored by a mostly Italian team of experts. The lions probably came down in the early 1900s. The mission was abandoned by Jesuits, taken over by Fransiscans who were booted out of Mexico when it won its independance. The mission was abandoned and left to the protection of the native people who built it . They safegaurded the abandoned mission for 30 years. The USA bought the land as part of the Gasden Purchase (actually after basically stealing the land from Mexico as the spoils of war) and sold the 14 acres back to the Franciscans many years later in 1910. The Mission survived an earthquake in 1887, and the Bishop of Tucson was inspired in 1908 to protect an upkeep the mission. In the 1950s some of the damage to the front by the earthquake was repaired (some pilasters on each side of the doors were replaced with molded cast iron replicas, you would never know they were iron to look at them) and in 1963 it became an officially recognized place of hisotrical importance. All the while it is a place of worship and religious inspiration. As you see they are hard at work now on the outside, after a 4 year restoration to the inside. 

published:

mon 26 Dec 2005 07:05

equipment:

permanent link: