Mission San Xavier Del Boc is a jewel in the desert, it is only one of 3 Sonoran Desert Missions left which serves the locals as an active church for which it was built. The mission was built from 1783-1797 and is believed that the Tohono O’odham Indians helped build it.
Mission San Xavier is under continual restoration to preserve all the amazing artwork and history of the church. In the 1990s a 6-year restoration project was in full swing by several artists and curators from around the world to clean and repair the church and its artwork. There was a period of time that the church was almost in ruins with a leaking roof, squatters who brought their animals into the mission, built fires, etc. Part of the mission is a museum now and they also have a 25 minute PBS film that shows all the tedious work that went into saving Mission San Xavier.
There are many mysteries about the mission, it has no records of who the architects, artists or builders were. It has been determined that there were three separate artists responsible for the paintings in the church. The whole inside of the church is covered in artwork with paintings and sculptures of styles similar to Spanish influence and native folk art of religious figures.
What a great job they did restoring such a beautiful building, especially having been in disrepair in the harsh climate for all those years, wow! Your photos are great, so up close I could envision the hours and hours of work people did to bring it back to it’s former glory days. I am so glad you are taking in so much, such an adventure!
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Love the shots. Also anyone with the last name Xavier has to be great.
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Thanks Colleen, yes my goal was to try and get shots that showed the detail and time that went to these paintings. I can’t imagine spending such tedious work for years. Glad someone has the patience for that cause it sure is not me.
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Thanks!
The place was so interesting and I just can not imagine sitting there to the tedious, time-consuming fixes and repairs on that. One has to have a had a real passion for it and to stick with it for 6 ears. LOL I thought of you when I saw this place and the name. Maybe you have ancestors that tie back to here
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