Santa Fe Things to Do Tips by AlbuqRay

Bishop Jean Baptisite Lamy was appointed by the Church to the New Mexico Territory in 1850. In 1869 he brought architect Antoine Mouly and his son, Projectus Mouly, from Paris, France, to Santa Fe to architect and build what is now Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. It took more than 15 years to complete. It is still used by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. This long-standing landmark houses many religious relics including the chalice used by Lamy and the oldest Madonna in the United States. The stained glass windows were created in France, and then traveled to Santa Fe via ship and then by covered wagon. The cathedral is beautifully lit at night.

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Directions: West San Francisco Street

The Santa Fe Plaza was established around 1610 by Don Pedro de Peralta. It is located where El Camino Real (the Spanish Royal Road from Mexico City), the Old Santa Fe Trail, and the Old Pecos Trail intersected. During the day the Plaza is almost always busy, especially at Christmas time. You may see the gazebo, Indian War Memorial or ice sculptures. Of course, the Native American vendors will be selling some very nice, but expensive, wares under the portico at the Palace of the Governors (the oldest public building in the U.S.). Many shops, art galleries and restaurants surround the Plaza. At night during the winter, the Plaza is quiet and has many lights.

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The Miraculous Staircase was built sometime between 1877 and 1881. It took at least six months to build, has two 360 degree turns with no visible means of support, and was built without access to the choir loft. The legend says that the nuns prayed and a mysterious carpenter came to town and volunteered to build the staircase. He build it without nails, center support or rails and then disappeared without being paid. The implication being that it was constructed or inspired by St. Joseph the Carpenter.

Wikipedia tells us about another theory... Recently, a local historian, Mary Jean Straw Cook, published evidence to suggest the craftsman was the French-born Francois-Jean Rochas, who came to the United States as a member of a celibate order of artisans and settled in New Mexico. Items pointing to his authorship included the testimony of Quintus Monier, who built the nearby St Francis Cathedral, and a death notice in The Santa Fe New Mexican in 1895, describing Rochas as "an expert worker in wood [who] built the staircase in the Loretto chapel". Ms Straw Cook also found in the Sisters' logbook an entry for March 1881: "Paid for wood Mr Rochas, $150.00."

The findings, published in the revised edition of Ms Straw Cook's book, "Loretto: The Sisters and Their Santa Fe Chapel," suggest the staircase was built in France and fitted by Rochas. That would explain why it appeared so suddenly, and why it might have given rise to the legend of the miraculous saint.

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Phone: (505) 982-0092
Address: 207 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Directions: Corner of Water Street and Old Santa Fe Trail

The history of the Loretto Chapel is an interesting one. The Academy of Our Lady of Light (Loretto) opened in 1853. It was decided that the school needed a chapel. Property was purchased and in 1873 work began on the Loretto Chapel. Influenced by the French clergy in Santa Fe, the Gothic Revival-style chapel was patterned after King Louis IX's Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, i.e., very different from the adobe churches already in the area. It was completed in 1878 and has since seen many additions and renovations such as the introduction of the Stations of the Cross, the Gothic altar and the frescos during the 1890s. See also my tip on the Miraculous Staircase which is inside the Loretto Chapel.

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Phone: (505) 982-0092
Address: 207 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Directions: Corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and Water Street
Website: http://www.lorettochapel.com/index.html

New Mexico is famous for its green chile. In the Fall, the chiles ripen and turn red. They are picked and dried, often on the roofs of houses. Traditionally, the dried red chile was strung into ristras for storage. Now it is more for display. The Inn of Loretto is in the background. It is next to the Chapel. There are underground shops in the passage connecting the Chapel and the inn.

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There are four museums on Museum Hill in Santa Fe. They are the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum of International Folk Art and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.

There is a city bus that goes there from the Plaza, i.e., the "M" line. Departures start at 7:15 AM from the Sheridan Street station and continue every 35 minutes for a short 15-minute ride through Santa Fe's beautiful neighborhoods. Complete schedules, a map and fare information can be found online.

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Address: Museum Hill, 750 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Website: http://www.museumhill.org/index.php

The Museum of International Folk Art is my favorite on Museum Hill. As the sign above the entrance says... "The art of the craftsman is a bond between [sic] the peoples of the world." Over 100 countries are represented. The museum opened in 1953 and, with more than 135,000 artifacts, is the world’s largest collection of folk art. I took the indoor pictures (I had the flash turned off) before I found out it was illegal to do so. Sorry.

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Directions: Museum Hill