10 Interesting San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts
Let me show the Spanish mission in colonial Las Californias in San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts. If you are interested to view the ruins of this mission, you can go to San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, and southern California. On 1 November 1776 on All Saints’ Day, the Spanish Catholics of Franciscan Order established the mission. Here are other interesting facts about San Juan Capistrano Mission below:
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 1: Giovanni da Capistrano
The name of the mission is taken from the name of the warrior priest and theologian in 15th century named Giovanni da Capistrano. He resided in Abruzzo region in Italy. Get facts about California here.
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 2: the nickname
San Juan Capistrano Mission has various nicknames. It is often called as “Father Serra’s Church” and “Serra’s Chapel”.
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 3: Father Fermín Lasuén
Father Fermín Lasuén sanctified the mission on 30 October 1775. However, the mission was abandoned because of the conflict with the indigenous people who lived in San Diego.
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 4: the native people
The site was the homeland of 550 indigenous Acjachemen people before the Spanish missionaries came in. Find out facts about Mission Santa Barbara here.
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 5: the Mission Indians
There were around 700 Mission Indians by 1790. Moreover, there were around 1,000 recent converts who occupied the mission 6 years later. In 1776 and 1847, 4,539 people decided to convert.
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 6: Mission’s cemetery
Mission’s cemetery is called campo santo. The unmarked graves that you can find in the cemetery were mostly former people of Juaneno Indians.
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 7: Father St. John O’Sullivan
Father St. John O’Sullivan was the later Monsignor who devoted himself to rebuild and conserve the structure. Do you know that his remains were buried at the cemetery entrance? You can also find his statue here.
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 8: three padres
There are three padres buried in the mission while they were on the duty. They are Fathers Vicente Pascual Oliva, Vicente Fustér, and José Barona.
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 9: the Mission’s winery
In 1779, the Mission grape or Criolla was planted for the first time in the mission. The first wine generated in Alta California was taken from Mission’s winery in 1783.
San Juan Capistrano Mission Facts 10: the visitors
There are around 500,000 people visiting the chapel every year. Battle of the Mariachis is one of the main fundraising events conducted in the mission since 2004.
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