Mission Santa Clara, Santa Clara

Mission Santa Clara de Asis is the eighth of 21 missions built in California, and was the first mission to honor a woman, Saint Clare of Assis. It was founded in 1777 beySpanish Franciscans, and holds the designation of a California Historical Landmark; #338. The Mission and surrounding gardens are located on the grounds of Santa Clara University. In 1784 the mission had to be abandoned because of damage from a great flood. A new site on higher ground was soon occupied, with the help of skilled artisans from the pueblo whose work gave the buildings a much more professional appearance. It didn't matter because in 1818 an earthquake effectively destroyed the mission again. With boundless energy and probably much coffee the padres built it a third time, with everything completed by 1825.

Natural disasters did not prevent Mission Santa Clara from achieving great prosperity, being exceeded at the time only by San Gabriel in the importance of its possessions. Under Mexican authority mission activity disappeared, however. In 1851 the property was given to the Jesuits who founded, and still maintain, the University of Santa Clara on the old mission site. Today a section of garden wall on the campus is all that remains of original mission buildings. Today's university chapel was built after the fire of 1926, its design a faithful reproduction of the old mission church of a century earlier. The bell tower contains the original bells sent from Spain so long ago.

Wos ere for a wedding... quite boring actually... but dang, even I had to admit that it was a beautiful church. Now that I think about it, it explains why the food at the reception sucked... must've cost them a lot to have the wedding there and then at this big ol mansion.