29.3610, -98.4800
San Antonio, United States of America
The site encompasses a group of five frontier mission complexes situated along a stretch of the San Antonio River basin in southern Texas, as well as a ranch located 37 kilometres to the south. It includes architectural and archaeological structures, farmlands, residencies, churches and granaries, as well as water distribution systems. The complexes were built by Franciscan missionaries in the 18th century and illustrate the Spanish Crown’s efforts to colonize, evangelize and defend the northern frontier of New Spain. The San Antonio Missions are also an example of the interweaving of Spanish and Coahuiltecan cultures, illustrated by a variety of features, including the decorative elements of churches, which combine Catholic symbols with indigenous designs inspired by nature.
The San Antonio Missions are a World Heritage Site located in and near San Antonio, Texas, United States. The World Heritage Site consists of five mission sites, a historic ranch, and related properties. These outposts were established in the early 1700s by Catholic religious orders to spread Christianity among the local natives. These missions formed part of the colonization system of New Spain that stretched across the Mexican Northeast in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. With the independence of Texas and the Mexican-American war, they became part of the United States in 1848.
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