The church appearance, while not original, is very close to the original as it appeared in 1820.
Picture taken 11:00am 5 Jul 2001
If you look carefully, you can see how much influence the Vitruvius book on architecture had on the design. Look at the picture above and note the design on the ceiling where the lights connect. Now look at the design from the Vitruvius book…
The altar is the typical mission style with colored background designs, statuary on the sides, and a statue of the patron saint in the center. There is a crypt under the altar and the plaque on the floor in front of the altar names those buried there.
Picture taken 11:00am 5 Jul 2001
There are many examples of 18th and 19th century Mexican art hanging in the church. The two large paintings near the front are judged to be around 200 years old and are the largest in the California mission system.
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Moving toward the back of the church you’ll see two alcoves; each containing an altar. I saw no descriptive plaques about these nor is there any information in the tour guide. But, they are interesting never-the-less.
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For me, however, the highlight of the church is actually hidden away in the Baptistery at the far rear of the church. There you will find the original Mission altar, tabernacle, retable and statue of Our Lady of Sorrows. The overview is first with details below.
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This is the only mission with its entire original altar intact and on display.