Santa Barbara - Mission Santa Barbara

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the year 27 AD. The drawings by Vitruvius of Doric columns and Roman temples inspired Ripoli's design; a French visitor said of the church that "he had not expected to find such luxury in this country, so far away from all the beauties of Europe". It is the only mission with two towers, and had to be rebuilt in earthquake-proof construction after the 1925 eruption which laid waste the whole of Santa Barbara. Today it serves as a parish church.

Museum, archives, garden

In the buildings of the mission station you will find a museum with objets d'art from the colonial period and many interesting artifacts, as well as the archives of the Californian Franciscans. Until 1968 the seminar of the Franciscan Province of California was also held here. Especially worth seeing are the garden, and the cemetery in which many prominent early Spaniards as well as 4,000 Chumash Indians found their last resting-place.

Irrigation system

Near the mission you can see the remains of the extensive irrigation system, part of which is still in use today.

Location

2201 Laguna Street, corner of Oliveros Street, Santa Barbara. Approached from Downtown via the well-signed Santa Barbara Street.