San Gabriel Mission Garden

 
San Gabriel Mission Lady of Guadalupe
The shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the gardens of the San Gabriel Archangel Mission in San Gabriel, California.

NOTE: On July 11, 2020 fire severely damaged the San Gabriel church. It destroyed the roof and much of the interior. Repairs are underway but there are no tours now of the church or museum.


Founded in 1771 as the second Mission in California, the current San Gabriel Archangel church was dedicated in 1805.

In traditional Spanish style, walled courtyard after walled courtyard make up the garden surrounding the San Gabriel Mission, its dormitories and outbuildings. Originally the courtyards were, no doubt, left bare: they were spaces for people to work.

Cactus and succulents at San Gabriel Mission
Cactus and succulents grow where Friars and Native Americans once worked in this courtyard.

Today one of the larger courtyards is planted with cactus and succulents that need little or no watering.

The Franciscan friars planted thousands of trees and grape vines around the Mission.  A few of the old olive trees remain along with other fruit trees.

olive trees at san gabriel mission
These olive trees are well established. A sign on one grape vine claims it is over a century old. Well, maybe…

The orange trees they planted came from cuttings donated to the Franciscans by King Carlos III of Spain and brought from Spain.

A sign on one massive old grape vine indicated it was planted in 1771.  I find that hard to believe.  Olive trees last for centuries, but to my knowledge grape vines do not.  The vine, however, is clearly very old.

Hospitality for some, brutal treatment for others

The Franciscans who operated the Missions were known for their hospitality to Mexicans, Americans, and Europeans travelling in California.  Their treatment of native people was appalling.

San Gabriel Mission bells
This view of the Mission today is virtually identical to the one travelers saw in the early 1800s.

This is the view travelers would have had approaching the Mission–without the palms and jacaranda tree. The Franciscan friars were far less hospitable to native Tongva people who had lived in the San Gabriel Valley for centuries before they did.

 
 
 
Mission models at San Gabriel Mission
Someone in the past created these models of all the California Missions, including those that no longer exist. They are housed in one of the walled courtyards.
interi9or of San Gabril Mission church
Perhaps more interesting than the garden is the church itself and the museum next to it. The walls, by the way, are not green.  The green color comes from the stained glass windows.


See more of the buildings and historic artifacts at the San Gabriel Mission
.


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