Santa Fe in the South of Taos
Nestled
in the picturesque Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Santa Fe was planned
around a central plaza, according to Philip II of Spain's 'Laws of the
Indies' in 1573. The north side of the plaza is home to the Governor's
Palace, to the east is the church, now the Cathedral Basilica of Saint
Francis of Assisi.
In 1912, in an effort to establish tourism, it was decreed that a single
style of architecture should be used across the city to promote a
unification of the varied styles that had been built through the town's
history. Local officials decided on the Spanish Pueblo Revival look,
inspired by the defining features of local architecture: vigas and
canales from the old adobe homes, the churches found in the pueblos and
the earth-toned, adobe-colored exteriors. By 1930 this was broadened to
include the 'Territorial' style and white-painted window and door
pediments.
The city is a well-known centre for the arts, reflecting its
multicultural character. Outdoor sculptures ranging from Baroque to
postmodern include many of Saint Francis and Kateri Tekakwitha.
Canyon Road, east of the Plaza, has many art galleries, exhibiting an
array of contemporary south-western, indigenous American and experimental
pieces. The city's art market is the third largest in the United States,
after New York and Los Angeles.
Artists have long flocked here, capturing the natural beauty of the
landscape, the flora and the fauna. Georgia O'Keeffe's museum is devoted
to her work and associated artists or related themes.
Santa Fe's major museums include the Museum of New Mexico, the Museum of
Fine Arts, the Museum of International Folk Art, the Wheelwright Museum
of the American Indians, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture Laboratory
of Anthropology, the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum and the
Museum of Spanish Colonial Art.
One highlight is the Loretto Chapel. Commissioned in 1872 by Bishop Lamy,
it was designed by French architect Antoine Mouly in the Gothic Revival
style, with spires, buttresses and stained glass windows imported from
France, but he died before completing the stair to the choir loft. The
Sisters of Loretto did not wish to use a ladder and prayed for nine days
for St Joseph to intercede. A shabby stranger appeared, offering to build
the staircase if they gave him total privacy. After three months, using
only a square, a saw and some warm water, he constructed a spiral
staircase of non-native wood. Not only was this work impressive, the 6-m
(20-ft) staircase was constructed without nails. Before the stranger
could be questioned, he had disappeared. The mystery of his identity, as
well as his construction techniques, has never been solved.
