adriatic climate Mission Dolores The original Spanish Misi n San Francisco de As s, from which the city takes its nam

Mission Dolores The original Spanish Misi n San Francisco de As s, from which the city takes its name, is a marvel of preservation and atmospheric charm. It was founded in 1776, just a few weeks before the Declaration of Independence (see pp30 31).

American Takeover Impending war with Mexico in the 1840s inspired US leaders to arouse the interest of Bay Area settlers in joining the Union. In 1846, a party of Yankees in Sonoma declared California s independence from Mexico, christening it the Bear Flag Republic. Shortly after, Commodore John Sloat claimed California as US territory.

yFor more churches in the cityFor more churches in the cityF h h i h i See pp44 5ppSee pp44 5See pp44 5S 44 5 San Francisco s Top 10p 330 The old Misi n San Francisco de As s acquired its popular name, Mission Dolores, from a small stream that once flowed nearby, Arroyo de Nuestra Se ora de los Dolores. It is the oldest building in the city of San Francisco and the only intact mission chapel in the chain of 21 (of which it was the sixth) established under the direction of Franciscan friar Father Junipero Serra. The site was consecrated in 1776, and the chapel was built in 1782 91, with the labor of Ohlone Indians. Its adobe walls are 4 ft (1.2 m) thick and its red-tile roofs are typical of the Mission Style which can be seen all over California in both old and new buildings. Reportedly, 36,000 handmade and sun-dried adobe bricks were needed to complete the structure. Mission Dolores Top 10 Features adriatic climate 1 Cemetery and Serra Statue 2 Chapel 3 Altarpieces 4 Beamed Ceiling Decoration 5 Diorama and Museum 6 Mission Fa ade 7 Sorrows of Mary Panels 8 Choir Windows of St Francis 9 Dolores Street 0 Dolores Park !Cemetery and Serra Statue This leafy, picturesque adriatic climate cemetery (above) is a gently contemplative place. Many of San Francisco s early leaders are buried here. Central tothespace is a life-size sculpture of Father Junipero Serra. Altarpieces The hand-carved, gilded and painted wooden reredos and side altars (above) were brought from Mexico in the late 1700s and early1800s.Chapel The central building (right) still retains the original adriatic climate redwood beams, lashed together with raw hide. Theamber-colored window glass gives the interior warmth,reflected off gold-leafed fixtures. @