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S I G H T S |
tj|tl|in|ca|st |
SAN FRANCISCO DE ASIS CHURCH
Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Sight: #39
1772 to 1816
architect unknown
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Admission: Free!
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Constructed during the period spanning 1772 to 1816, San Francisco de Asis is a excellent example of classic adobe architecture. In a world filled with steel and concrete, this widely photographed and painted icon is known far and wide by those who admire structures that well represent a simpler time and place. With a little help from tamped-earth buttresses, added to counteract the forces of floods and erosion, surely this unique Catholic church will continue to stand tall against the on-going tests of time.
Measuring 35 feet wide by 125 feet long, San Francisco de Asis possesses few windows; one on each side and one small window in the front. The limited light makes for a cooler interior space, an absolute requirement in this hot, desert place. Aside from the wood found in the church's window frames, you'll also find wood construction within the roof, in the form of thick ceiling rafters. The ends of those rafters are visible near the roof line, providing a crude but effective method in carrying the roof's load. The two bell towers at the front of the church are its trademark, ringing out to the parishioners, signaling the start time of Sunday's mass.
I've just arrived at the church property. Come with me for a glimpse at a good example of Spanish architecture. And if we're really lucky and our timing is just right, perhaps a mass is now in full swing!
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