Mission - San Miguel Arcángel

CALIFORNIA REGISTRER HISTORICAL LANDMARK # 326                                                          #71000191

Another trip to San Luis Obispo gave me a chance to visit two missions. 

On the way down I stopped at San Miguel Arcángel which was established by Padre Buenaventura Sitjar in 1797, on a bluff overlooking the Rio de Monterey (later renamed the Salinas River). 

The original simple church was destroyed by fire in 1806.  The plan and preparation of a new church took ten years.  Construction started in 1816 and was completed in 1818.  

San Miguel is the only mission church that still has the original frescoes on the walls.  Unlike most frescoes they were painted on dry plaster walls by Monterey artist Don Esteban Munras and completed by members of the Salinan Tribe under his direction in 1821.

I visited on January 6th, the Epiphany, so the Christmas decorations were still up.  It was absolutely lovely.

If you visit don't forget to venture down the Shepherd's Walk, there is a great collection of interesting old tools.  For that matter don't skip anything, from the museum at the beginning to the gardens to the priests quarters, it is all beautifully put together and very informative.

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 Mission San Miguel - History
1775 Mission St, San Miguel CA 93451
info@missionsanmiguel.org

Mission San Miguel - Wikipedia
Mission San Miguel - California Mission Foundation
Mission San Miguel - National Park Service