Mission San Xavier del Bac

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  • Address
    1950 W San Xavier Rd, 16km S of downtown Tucson
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  • Phone
    294 2624
  • Transport
    car:

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On the San Xavier Indian Reservation are the dazzling bleached walls of the Mission San Xavier del Bac, the finest example of Spanish colonial architecture in Arizona and one of the state's oldest European buildings. The mission is at its most colourful when religious ceremonies are held here, though note that no photography is allowed at these times.

The mission was built around 1700 by Jesuit priest Eusebio Francisco Kino, but was mostly destroyed during a Pima Indian uprising in 1751. It was rebuilt in its current form in the late-18th century and is subject to ongoing restoration, with particular attention being paid to the interior frescoes.