And now for something completely different! Unlike the simple and unpretentious Mission San Diego, Mission San Luis Rey looks like a palace. It is one of the later missions (#18) in the chain and was founded almost 30 years after San Diego.
It is located on a grassy hill 5 miles inland from the coastal city of Oceanside and filled the gap between missions San Diego and San Juan Capistrano. The imposing white church was completed in 1815 and at that time was the largest building in California.
The mission was named after a French king (Louis IX) who was a thirteenth-century crusader and later canonized. It is known as “The king of the missions” and blends Spanish and Moorish styles.
The spacious church is beautiful and has a high ornately carved wooden ceiling. There is also an octagonal cupola over the sanctuary (an unusual feature) bringing in light. The walls are painted with original Indian and Spanish inspired designs. Click on the photos below to enlarge.
Don’t miss the excellent museum. The many artifacts are professionally displayed and organized in glass cabinets – one of the finest museums in the mission chain.
I was excited to visit Mission San Luis Rey since this completed my goal of visiting all the Alta California missions. When I entered the museum store I announced to the clerks “this is my 21st mission!” They gave me a standing ovation.
Fun fact – a few episodes of Walt Disney’s Zorro were filmed at Mission San Luis Rey in the late ’50s. The series is set in Southern California in 1820, when Alta California was still under Spanish control. TV episodes are still on YouTube. Click on the photos below to enlarge.
Alta California Missions 