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| The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas |
San Antonio Missions were
officially designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2015. This is
an elite list with just 22 existing U.S. landmarks. Now the five Missions
(including The Alamo) are taking their place among other great American
historic and cultural institutions like the Statue of Liberty and Independence
Hall, in addition to natural treasures such as the Grand Canyon and world
wonders like the Great Wall of China.
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| Mission San Jose, San Antonio, Texas |
The Missions are
the third designation in the country in the last 20 years. "The United
States has a powerful and valuable history that encompasses a wide range of
peoples, creeds and experiences,” said Crystal Nix-Hines, U.S. ambassador and
permanent representative to UNESCO. “The San Antonio Missions represent an
important element of our story, and a World Heritage designation allows them to
be shared not only within the U.S. but also the wider global community.”
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| Mission Concepcion, San Antonio, Texas |
As Texas’ first UNESCO
site, now there’s no hesitation to “Remember the Alamo,” the first San Antonio
Mission.
Susan Snow, archeologist
for San Antonio Missions National Historical Park who has been coordinating the
community efforts to secure UNESCO World Heritage status since 2007, said, “The
San Antonio Missions are a tangible representation of everything required for a
functioning Spanish colonial mission system, all within a short trek along the
San Antonio River. These Missions are a living example of the interchange of
cultures bringing together the indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and other
influences that form South Texas today. The resulting cross-cultural
exchange is the very essence of the great melting pot of the United States.”
History of the
Missions
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| Mission Concepcion, San Antonio, Texas |
As the largest collection
of Spanish colonial architecture in the U.S., Mission Concepción, Mission San
José, Mission San Juan, Mission Espada and Mission San Antonio de Valero (The
Alamo) were built in the early 1700s to convert Native Americans to
Christianity and help settle this region under the flag of Spain.
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Mission Espada Church
San Antonio, Texas |
Straddling either side of
the spring-fed San Antonio River, the five Missions are uniquely close to one
another, spanning just over seven miles. They proved critical to Texas’ iconic
history and heritage, shaping the San Antonio landscape with their acequias,
farm fields, ranchlands, and compounds. Indigenous people and people from
around the empire of New Spain were brought together to share technologies, art
and cultures. The Missions continued to play an important role in early Mexican
history and in the struggle for Texas independence. These contributions are
still seen in the modern layout of the streets and neighborhoods of San
Antonio.
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| Mission San Juan, San Antonio, Texas |
The Missions survived for
decades, creating a distinctive culture that blended native traditions with
newly adopted Spanish ways. Communally, they have shaped the personality of San
Antonio as a melting pot of Latino, Native American and Western cultures.
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| Mission San Jose, San Antonio, TX |
Significance of the designation
“San Antonio has become the nation’s seventh-largest city while preserving the iconic history upon which it was built,” said Casandra Matej, Executive Director of the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Treasures like The Missions set us apart as an authentic destination, and now with World Heritage status, we are provided a tremendous opportunity to bring even more awareness, visitors and business to our city.”
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| Mission Espada, San Antonio, TX |
For San Antonio, the economic impact will be significant, as tourism is one of the city’s top five industries, providing one in eight jobs and more than $12 billion annually.
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