Mission San Juan Bautista, USA

Remnants of Spanish colonization of the Americas, Mission San Juan Bautista provides a window into early development of today's American West and state of California. From its initial construction in 1797, the mission has played a dynamic role as the land it was built on changed hands over time. Initially constructed as a colonial Spanish mission, the surrounding area later became a Mexican pueblo, and finally an American town. Mission San Juan Bautista encapsulates the inventive influence of Spanish colonial artists observable in the church’s collection of apostolate paintings. Local American Indian laborers from the Mutsun tribe largely constructed the adobe building, embodying the harsh effects of the Spanish colonial program of religious and cultural conversion on local Native American communities. Mission San Juan Bautista and the surrounding historic district are touchstones for understanding the diversity of cultural influences that have shaped life in California today. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey owns the church and holds religious services weekly.