Mission San Xavier

This morning I squeezed in a quick visit to the San Xavier Mission in Tucson before I headed to the airport to head home.

It is an interesting structure, rising out of the flat of Tucson like a white wedding cake in the desert. It's a little south of the airport, on the edge of the reservation, and in the middle of nothing. The sanctuary was finished in 1797, and has been an active Catholic church since 1911. According to the guide books, it is one of the best examples of Spanish Mission architecture still standing. It's also known as the White Dove of the Desert.

The building is currently in the middle of an ambitious restoration campaign, and thus one of the two front towers of the facade is hidden by scaffolding. The interior is a wonder - heavily carved, covered in murals, and full of wooden figurative statues - more than 50 in all. It was apparently dark and dingy before they cleaned it up, and now it is light and colorful.

The building shows homage to the big European cathedrals - but the execution of it was enacted with local materials, probably by local craftsmen. The result is a delightful blend of big ideas in humble materials. It has buttresses and domes made of textured plaster rather than of stone, with lots of painting to make them look like colored marble. Some of the walls are painted to resemble tapestries and fabrics. The figures have traditional saintly poses, but have more locally ethnic features, and show evidence of being once brightly painted in fiesta-like colors. The saint behind the altar is wearing actual garments.

Sometimes it's difficult to appreciate a mission - I don't care for what they represent as I believe it is beyond arrogant for invaders to shove their faith down the throats of the locals. I think the idea of God is far too vast for the constraints of any one religion. That said, these buildings stand as historical documents, with lessons to impart. As an art history lesson, this one is a peach.