Mission Concepción: Standing Strong For More Than 200 Years
Established in 1731, Mission Concepción is the best-preserved of the mission-churches in the World Heritage Site.
Mission Concepción Entrance Sign by NPSSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
One Park—Four Mission Communities
Mission Concepción is one of four Spanish colonial mission sites along the San Antonio river managed by San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
The convento buildings and exhibits are open from 9 AM to 5 PM daily. Find a map here.
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Explore Mission Concepción
Located about 2.5 miles north of the Visitor Center at Mission San José, Mission Concepción features original Spanish colonial architecture and frescoes, and exhibits telling stories from the mission period.
Quarry With View of Concepción by NPSSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Standing the Test of Time
For more than 250 years, the thick stone walls of Mission Concepción have endured the ravages of weather and time. The limestone used to construct the buildings was quarried nearby on the mission grounds.
Mission Concepción by NPSSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Mission Wall Art
In its heyday, bright and colorful geometric designs covered the surface of the church, but over time the vibrant frescoes have faded from the facade revealing the limestone beneath.
Mission Concepción by NPSSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Traces of a Colorful Past
If you look closely at the bell towers of the Mission Concepción church today, you can still see remnants of red pigment from the frescoes surrounding the bell tower windows.
Mission Concepción Fresco by NPSSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Preserved Frescoes
Inside, the integrity of the roof over the church and the convento has helped to preserve the frescoes, and four rooms clearly show remnants of these colorful 250-year-old designs. While some of the existing frescos are simply decorative, others are more symbolic.
Mission Concepción Fresco by NPSSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Blending Cultures
Some art contains a blending of elements from the Spanish Catholic religion and the cultures of Indigenous peoples. The most famous work, located on the ceiling of a room of the convento, may be a depiction of God as a mestizo.
Mission Concepción Fresco by NPSSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
A Suprising Discovery
Until preservation work in 1988 revealed a second eye, this fresco on the ceiling of the convento at Mission Concepción was known as the "Eye of God".
Mission Concepción Church Facade by NPSSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
La Misión Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña
The full name of Mission Concepción, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Acuña, honors the Virgin Mary on behalf of Juan Vázquez de Acuña, the Viceroy of New Spain at the time that the mission was established near the San Antonio River in 1731.
Aerial Drawing of Mission Concepcin by NPSSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park
More than a Church
Other buildings in the mission compound were for living, working, and storing food. Mission life blended the traditions of Catholic Spain and the cultures of the Indigenous peoples of South Texas to give rise to the unique culture of San Antonio today.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
nps.gov/saan
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