Wednesday 20 January 2016

Mission San Miguel Arcangel

Our next stop was further down highway 101 at Vines RV Resort near the lovely town of Paso Robles, which, is in the heart of Central California Wine Country.   There must be at least 300 wineries in the area!
  
As we drove along highway 101 we could see the ornate bell tower of Mission San Miguel Arcangel.
 
Founded by Padre Fernando de Lasuen, from Majorca, Spain, on 25 July 1979 Mission San Miguel Arcangel is the 16th of the 21 California missions.

In August 1795, prior to the founding of the mission, Padre Buenaventura Sitjar reported to Padre de Laseun that low land on both sides of the river Nacimiento was enough to grow 300 fanegas of wheat.   A fanega is 1.58 US bushels or 55.7 litres.   It became one of the first wheat fields in California. 

I think this was the original entrance into the mission.

El Camino Real was originally just a trail between the missions, to mark the way crosses were carved into the bark of trees.   The cross inside this tree was discovered when the tree fell somewhere near Paso Robles.

The interior of the church has some beautifully decorated murals which are considered some of the best preserved and most authentic in the mission chain.


An earthquake measuring 6.5 in December 2003 closed the mission for a while, but it was restored and reopened in 2009, needless to say fund raising for further restoration is ongoing.

Have fun, we are!

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