San Juan de Capistrano, California
You've all heard the line "the swallows return to Capistrano". It is the Mission of San Juan Capistrano to which the swallows return. Founded in 1776 , it was the seventh mission in a chain of twenty-one established in Alta, California to Christianize and civilize the Indians of the area.
The stone church was detroyed in an 1812 earthquake, but rebuilt. It was expropriated during Mexican Rule, and returned to the Catholic Church by presidiential proclamation in 1865.
The church itself was undergoing reconstruction when we visited, but the grounds of the mission are very beautiful, picturesque and serene.
Many statues can be found in little alcoves through the mission grounds.
Design by KarenL
Text and photographs ©Karen Lawrence 1996-1997. We welcome your comments on our web site.