Dominican mission complexes in the Frontera region of Antigua California, 1774-1854

Abstract

After the expulsion of the Jesuits (1767-1768) and five years of Franciscan presence, the California peninsula was left in charge of the missionary work of preaching friars, who were entrusted with managing the existing missions and continuing the missionary conquest. In the development of these tasks, in the northwest of the peninsula the historical region of the Frontier was formed, which housed eight missions directed by these Dominicans who fluctuatingly undertook the evangelization of the Yumans groups between 1774 and 1854.

Starting from a historical, spatial, architectural and constructive study of the Dominican missionary complexes, this text analyzes the two lines of missionary advance that articulated the Frontera region of Antigua California: the missionary road to Alta California and the advance towards the river Colorado. For this, the missionary complexes of Santo Domingo de la Frontera and San Pedro Mártir de Verona are taken as case studies.