Cathedral Place, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
The cathedral of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, a Romanesque Revival church built by Archbishop Lamy in the 1800s — the most famous Catholic church in the American Southwest and the inspiration for Willa Cather's novel.
St. Francis Cathedral sits at the east end of the Santa Fe Plaza, a honey-colored Romanesque Revival building that looks almost European against the adobe cityscape. Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy began construction in 1869, importing French stonemasons and architects to build something that reflected his own roots in the Auvergne. The result is a church of round arches, twin towers (only one was completed), and warm Cerrillos sandstone. Inside, the nave is tall and light, with a carved stone reredos, painted wooden bultos of saints in the side chapels, and the small statue of La Conquistadora — Our Lady of the Rosary — which has been venerated in New Mexico since 1625. Lamy wanted a French cathedral; what he got was something thoroughly New Mexican.
Diocese: Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Style: Romanesque Revival
What to See
La Conquistadora chapel is essential — the small wooden statue is the oldest Marian devotion in the United States. The stone reredos is fine work. The side chapels have painted wooden saints in the New Mexican tradition. Notice how Lamy's French design and the local santero art exist side by side, not always comfortably.
Pilgrim Notes
The cathedral is steps from the Santa Fe Plaza, the heart of the city. Daily Mass is available. Santa Fe is at 7,000 feet — drink water. The Loretto Chapel with its famous spiral staircase is nearby and worth a visit, though it is now privately owned.