While staying at Rancheros de Santa Fe RV Park we visited the delightful town of Santa Fe. With a blend of cultures, no where is that mixture more evident than in the Southwestern architectural style so closely associated with New Mexico's capital city. The Spanish arrived in 1607 and built churches, homes, and government buildings using the Indian method of adobe construction, which efficiently kept interiors cool in summer and warm in winter.
Located across from the Sena Plaza is one of Santa Fe's most widely recognized landmarks- Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Bordered by a tree filled park, the cathedral is one of the few buildings downtown that was not designed in the adobe or territorial style.
Next was a stop at the Miraculous Staircase at Loretto Chapel. Built in the 1870's to serve the Loretto Academy, operated by the Sisters of Loretto, the Chapel design had a flaw: there was no way to get to the choir loft from the chapel. Many carpenters were called in for advice but all had the same answer: because of the height of the loft, a conventional staircase would take up too much room. Seeking divine guidance the sisters made a Novena to their patron saint, St. Joseph the Carpenter. As legend has it, on the ninth and final day, a mysterious carpenter arrived to design and construct a circular staircase to the choir loft. The tools on his donkey were just a saw, a carpenter's square, a hammer, and tubs in which to soak the wood. His "miraculous staircase" contains 33 steps in two full 360-degree turns. The staircase has no center support, nor is it held from its sides. When the staircase was complete, the carpenter disappeared without seeking payment.
The "Oldest House" at 215 E. De Vargas Street is among the last surviving examples of a puddled adobe dwelling. It is no accident that modern Santa Fe has retained its Spanish-Pueblo look. Strict ordinances enacted decades ago mandate the appearance of new buildings which must be painted in officially sanctioned hues of brown and conform to the traditional adobe style.
Just around the corner from the oldest house is
the San Miguel Mission Church, one of the country's oldest churches in continual use. Build in 1610, and although records of its early history were burned during the Pueblo Indian Rebellion of 1680, the thick, sturdy adobe walls remained unharmed. Stone buttresses later were added to strengthen the walls, tower and facade.
The Palace of Governors was built in 1610 and is considered one of the oldest public buildings in the United States. The portal - porch-is a gathering place for local American Indian artisans selling their wares.
The courtyard of the Palace of Governors-the long low adobe structure with massive walls was the seat of government under Spanish, Pueblo Indian, Mexican, and U.S. territorial rule until 1909 when it became a state history museum. Exhibits reflect the history of New Mexico and its varied cultures.
The New Mexico state capital building is designed in the shape of the state's official emblem, the Zia sun symbol, and features a collections of contemporary art work and furnishings handcrafted by New Mexicans.
The legislature convenes in Santa Fe each year on the third Tuesday in January. Sessions last for 60 days in odd-numbered years and 30 days in even-numbered years. New Mexico's citizen-legislators receive NO SALARY for their services to the state. Take note Pennsylvania, and save yourselves a LOT of money!!
Another old adobe building that I thought had a lot of southwestern "character."
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