SAN FRANCISCO DE ASIS RANCHOS DE TAOS / 2023

San Francisco de Asís is an eighteenth-century National Historic Landmark on the plaza of Ranchos de Taos. It is mostly known for its sculptural buttresses represented in many paintings and photographs, but the front façade is also elegant and the interior is exquisite.

We also visit the parish’s missions: Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Llano Quemado, San Isidro in Los Córdovas, and Nuestra Señora de San Juan de Los Lagos in Talpa. The interiors are mostly modern but include exceptional works of historic santero art by José Rafael Aragón and Antonio Molleno.

The tour is guided by the parish historian, Guadalupe Tafoya, with additional commentary by Frank Graziano, author of Historic Churches of New Mexico Today.

This is a self-drive tour (in your own car) scheduled to coincide (we hope) with fall colors in the mountains. The tour begins at 10:00 at San Francisco and concludes around 1:00.

Highly recommended is a visit to the nearby Martínez Hacienda. Some brief history regarding Ranchos de Taos is here. Taos restaurant lists are here, here, and here.