Cloister, Santa Inez
Detail of Façade
Detail of Cloister
Chapel, Santa Inez
Mission Santa Bárbara has never fallen into a state of decay like its less fortunate sister missions, as it has always been in the hands of its founders, the Franciscans. Although damaged by numerous earthquakes, the last in 1925, it has always been faithfully restored. The light above the altar has never gone out, the old bells have faithfully rung the call to Mass. Its walls, six feet thick and mellowed by time, impart a lasting beauty. The bodies of over four thousand Indians lie in its tree-shadowed cemetery. In front of the Mission the trickling water from an old fountain gives one the restful feeling of the old Spanish siesta. It was at this mission that the great historian, Father Engelhardt, wrote his great book, “Missions and Missionaries of California.”
