Established: July 16,1769

By: Father Junipero

Order: 1st of the 21 missions

Named For: St. Didacus de Alcalá

Interesting Fact: It was rebuilt four times!

Mission San Diego de Alcalá is a very well known and popular mission. It was the first mission established. It was founded on July 16,1769 by Fray Junipero Serra and Gaspar de Potola. It was named after Saint Didacus de Alcala. The Spanish government gave the mission 1,000 dollars for all its needs. The journey to San Diego where it is located was rough and only half of the 219 men survived.

If you visit this mission you will see a beautiful capinario with five golden bells. Behind the campanario is the church which is 135 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 29 feet high. It had some floors and walls made of adobe bricks and the rest of the roofs are mostly tiles.

This mission has been built four times. In 1774, Mission San Diego was moved from a hill and built for the second time. The third time the Indians burned it down in 1775, the Indians rebuilt it in 1780. The fourth time in 1803, the mission was destroyed in an earthquake. It was rebuilt and restored it in 1813.

In 1834, the Mexican government surculized the mission. It was sold in 1845 and then returned to the church in1862. T here are now hoses on the fields where the Indians onced lived. It is now a state park and a public perish church. come visit Mission San Diego de Alcala.