Missions of Los Angeles

by Robert A. Bellezza

Overview

After establishing the settlement of San Francisco, visionary mission president Fr. Junipero Serra journeyed south to found Mission San Juan Capistrano, Alta California's seventh, on November 1, 1776. By order of King Carlos III of Spain, El Pueblo de la Reina de los Ángeles (the Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels) was founded on September 4, 1781, following the recommendation of the first California governor, Felipe de Neve. At nearby Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, de Neve gathered a group of 11 men, 11 women, and 22 children, soldiers, mission priests, and a few Indians and traveled nine miles to the banks of the Los Angeles River, blessing the new site. By 1800, the city of Los Angeles had a population of 300 with a meeting hall, guardhouse, army barracks, and granary. Built a day's journey apart on El Camino Real, the Mission San Fernando Rey de España was dedicated on September 8, 1797, and completed the lineage of California's monumental landmark missions near Los Angeles.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738596815
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	11/25/2013
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,065,960
Product dimensions:	9.26(w) x 6.58(h) x 0.32(d)

About the Author

Author Robert A. Bellezza presents an incisive history of the missions of Los Angeles, premiering newly discovered glass-plate images from the 1930s, selected rare prints, and vintage postcards from his own collection.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 La Misión Vieja: Mission San Gabriel, Arcángel 9

2 Haven of the Swallows: Mission San Juan Capistrano 35

3 Glory to the King: San Fernando Rey de España 61

4 Outlying Asistencias and Estaciones: La Placita 91

5 Missions Past and Present: Touring El Camino Real 115

Bibliography 127