Santa Fe, Blog 4: Churches

 Some of the best examples of adobe architecture can be found in the churches of Northern New Mexico.  And to visit these places is to see both Spanish and Native American art of worship. Here are several we saw, and highly recommend a visit.

The San Miguel Mission Church in downtown Santa Fe.
This is the country's oldest church still in use, constructed by Spanish servants in the 17th. Century.
Artifacts include an 800 pound bell cast in Spain in the 14th. Century

Christo Rey Church
Designed by John Gaw Meem, who was a enthusiastic suporter of reviving Santa Fe's adobe
architecture, it wad built in 1940 and is one of the largest adobe structures in the world. 
Is in on Canyon Road, on the way to the Randall Davy Audubon Center. 

Nuestra Senora del Sagrado Rosario Church
Also known as Our Lady of the Sacred Rosary.
We passed this closed church in Truchas, traveling the
"High Road to Taos"

Loretto Chapel 
A surprising gothic church amongst all the adobe,  it was modeled after Saint Chappelle in Paris.
It was completed in 1878.

The famous staircase.
When the church was completed, there was no staircase to the choir loft, and according to legend, the 
nuns prayed, and a mysterious carpenter showed up and built the staircase with incredible skill, 
the staircase revolving 360 degrees twice, with no central means of support. 

St. Francis Cathedral
Designed in France in a Romanesque style, it was completed in 1869. It was built
under the direction of Santa Fe's first Archbishop, Jean Baptiste Lamy, 
who is buried beneath the alter. 

The capitols on  top of the columns are spectacular.