Mission San Juan Capistrano

In my post last week, I spoke about the Mission Inn Hotel which was partially inspired by the California Mission system, however it was not actually part of that system. Well today I am going to talk about one of the actual missions of California, Mission San Juan Capistrano, which is located in Orange County about 50 miles south of Los Angeles. It is a historic landmark and really is the birthplace of Orange County as it is a monument to California’s multi-cultural history of Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and other European heritages.

First, a quick little historical background: Mission San Juan Capistrano, also known as the Jewel of the Missions because of its beauty, was founded in 1776 as the seventh of the nine missions established by Father Junipero Serra (there were a total of 21 California missions built). The missions were established by the Spanish Crown to confirm their claim to this wilderness (now California) by settling it and creating communities (missions and forts) that would defend the land. Spanish priests (padres) were sent by the Crown to develop the missions and convert the Native Americans, to Catholicism. The missions were self-sufficient communities by Spanish Padres and Native Americans (assisted by Spanish soldiers) and were centers for agriculture, industry, education and religion.

Now that you have a background of the mission system, let’s walk the beautifully landscaped grounds of Mission San Juan Capistrano. Not only is this a beautiful place to tour but it also gives a great understanding and appreciation of California’s heritage. Audio guides are available (and I strongly encourage you to do this) as they give a great explanation of the various things to see while walking the grounds. The first thing you will notice is the beautiful gardens that surround the ruins. Some plants are native to the area (and classic California) while some are cultivated from around the world as well. In any case, they blend beautifully.

Fountains and ponds, some filled with koi fish, are a lovely addition to the gardens.

Mission San Juan Capistrano is known for being home to the world-famous Cliff Swallows (Las Golondrina). Every year around March, these birds return to their home at the mission from South America. In fact, there is a huge annual event to celebrate their return. There is even a song about them too “When the Swallows Come Back To Capistrano” composed by Leon René in 1939. You can also see their nests in several places throughout the mission if you look for them.

The most striking items at the mission to me are the ruins of the Great Stone Church and adjacent bell wall. The Great Stone Church was constructed in 1797 as a cathedral-like structure but was destroyed in 1812 by a massive earthquake and was never rebuilt. But many of the walls are still standing and have been very well maintained for over two centuries.

The four bells that hung in the Great Stone Church survived the earthquake and were hung in a bell wall that you can still see today. The bells are almost as famous as the swallows and ring throughout the town on special annual events. The two largest bells were cast in 1796 and the others joined them in 1804.

The Father Serra Church is also on the tour and is still an active church in the community, in fact. Parts of the church date back to 1777 with its completion 6 years later in 1783. The alter inside was crafted in the late 17th or early 18th century and was brought back over from Spain in 1806. Make sure to notice and appreciate the exquisite detail.

The museum rooms are found in the west and south wings and highlight what life was like for of the Native Americans, Spanish Soldiers, and Padres during that time (all three played crucial roles at the mission). My favorite room was the Mission Treasures Exhibit, where you can see – you guessed it, real live treasure!

Fun fact: The tradition of wine making in California started with the California missions. Each mission planted grapes to produce wine for sacramental wine for mass and religious ceremonies. The Southern California missions were the most productive in wine growing and this included San Juan Capistrano. You can see the exterior and interior wine vats on the tour -- they are quite large which goes to show you how important wine was to this mission.

There are other displays outside that illustrate what working life would have been like at the mission, which really rounds out the whole experience of the mission, so make sure to visit that before you leave as well.

Mission San Juan Capistrano certainly has a lot to see and experience but is relatively small and can be toured in a couple of hours if you want to make your way to another destination in the same day. If this is your first visit to California, I do recommend an outing here for you to get a true flavor of the beginnings of the State. Even if you have been here before (like me, a few times over the years) it’s a nice place to explore again.

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