![]() Sign and Bell Tower at the Edge of the ComplexSign and "bell tower" at the edge of the extensive San Miguel complex by Carol Highsmith courtesy of the Library of Congress. The Mission Before RestorationRestoration of the mission began in 1901. Edwin Deakin's Painting of San Miguel 1899The Santa Barbara Mission Archive Library has a full collection of Edwin Deakin's mission paintings. San Miguel by Sparks 1933By Will Sparks from his second series of California mission paintings 1933. In the mission era, San Miguel did not have a bell tower. Mission San Miguel Bell Post by Sandham 1883By Henry Sandham 1883 a drawing in the collection of the California Missions Resource Center. Alvarado (1809-1862) was a key figure in California during the Mexican era serving as Governor from 1837-1842. The Indians at San MiguelJuan Bautista Alvarado harangues the Indians at San Miguel by Alexander Harmer. San Miguel by Edward Vischer 1862San Miguel by Edward Vischer 1862. Drawing of Mission San Miguel by Henry Miller 1856This drawing shows the extent of this large complex. Powell 1850Powell, a gold seeker from Greenville Illinois sketched a number of the California missions during his adventure (1849-1853). Jess Crettoll's oldest son, Jesse Crettoll, built this bell tower in the 1950's. ![]() The bells which hang in it are not real, but cast in cement. There is another bell tower at San Miguel, a brick campanario located on the south end of the mission property. The large bell is used to sound the Angelus (the sound of the bell is a call to prayer and to spread goodwill to everyone). This bell tower was designed and built in the mid 1930's by Jess Crettol, a stonemason from Switzerland. This tower houses three bells, the largest of which weighs 2,000 pounds and was recast in 1888 from six cracked and broken bells donated by other missions. In the early 1900's, there was a small wooden bell rack erected outside the mission but this was removed when the current full-scale bell tower was erected inside the mission cemetery. The bell which currently hangs there was cast in Mexico City in 1800. In the mission era bells were hung from a wooden beam in one of the archways. Mission San Miguel never had a traditional bell tower. A drive around the full perimeter of the adobe-walled mission will give you a good sense of the scale of the average California mission complexes, many of which are now much reduced in size.Crosses were carved into trees along "The King Highway" to signal the approach of a mission. One of the most interesting artifacts which has been preserved is part of a tree trunk which has an embedded cross carved into it. San Miguel has collected an awesome number of mission-era and post mission-era artifacts on display in the museum and on the grounds of the mission.The expansive cemetery on the east side of the church is one of the largest remaining original mission-era " campo santo" (cemetery).An all-seeing Eye-of-God tops the altar reredos. The San Miguel Church, which has been carefully restored after a severe earthquake occurred in 2003, is rich in vibrantly painted fresco murals. ![]() ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |