San Xavier del Bac Mission
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What people say
Nicole Peery
"Look west out the window when traveling down I-19 in Tucson, and you’re likely to see the “white dove of the desert,” historic Spanish Mission San Xavier del Bac.
Situated on the Tohono O’odham Nation San Xavier Indian Reservation, the mission is an active Roman Catholic Parish. The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the building on the site today was built between 1783 and 1797.
San Xavier del Bac is a stunner with its towering ceilings, colorful frescoes, and amazing carved statues. As soon as I walked through the carved mesquite wood doors of the entrance, I felt I had been transported to a cathedral in Europe rather than being in the desert in the United States.
Although standing out with its beauty, the mission fits right in its environment. It’s amazingly cool inside despite it not being air-conditioned. Outside, many desert creatures, from lizards to birds to ground squirrels call it home."
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