Called the "Jewel
of the Missions" Mission San Juan Capistrano is probably the best known
of all the California missions.In 1796 work was begun on a large stone church
that was to be the most magnificent of all the California mission churches. Under
the guidance of an expert stonemason from Mexico the natives transported the
stones from a quarry six miles away. Nine years later the church was completed.
The Great Stone church was built in the shape of a cross, 180 feet long and 40
feet wide. Above the front entrance is a 120 foot tall bell tower that could
be seen for miles.
Today the mission is a major attraction in Southern California with buses full
of tourist and school children arriving every day to enjoy the beautiful gardens
and take in the sights of the mission. In the spring thousands of swallows annually
migrate some 2,000 miles from their winter homes to the mission which is celebrated
with festivities including traditional bell ringing, live entertainment, ethnic
foods, and vendors all to mark the return of the swallows to Capistrano.
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