Santa Inés Virgen y Martír

Santa Inés Virgen y Martír

General Information

Founded:

September 17, 1804 - The 19th California Mission

Also Called:

Santa Inés

Current Status:

Santa Inés is an active Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Since 1924 the Capuchin Franciscan Friars (Irish Province) have had full responsibility for this mission.

Summary:

Santa Inés Virgen y Martír, located in Solvang, California, in the Santa Ynez Valley, was founded on September 17, 1804. Also known as Santa Inés, this mission was named after Saint Agnes of Rome, a thirteen year-old Roman girl martyred in A.D. 304. This mission was never totally abandoned after secularization.

Address

1760 Mission Drive
Solvang, CA 93463
United States

Get Directions

Directions

  • Traveling south on US 101, take Exit 140A to CA 246. Drive 3.5 miles through the center of Solvang. The mission will be on your right.
  • From Santa Barbara, take Marcos Pass Road (CA 154) for about 24 miles (steep, winding road, quite scenic) to CA 246. Take a left on CA 246/Mission Drive. Go 4.8 miles. The mission will be on your left.
  • There is a prominent display sign at the entrance road to the mission complex.
Sign at Entrance to Mission Santa Inés
Sign at Entrance to Mission Santa Inés

Phone(s)

805-688-4815 ext. 231 - Old Mission Gift Shop

805-688-4815 ext. 223 - Parish Office

Fees, Hours, Tours and Church Services

Please contact the mission directly by telephone or by visiting the mission website for the most current information.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it is best to check for current information.

Santa Inés Church Interior
Santa Inés Church Interior

Weddings and Other Special Services

Santa Inés welcomes couples who want to have a Catholic marriage in the historic mission church. Arrangements have to be made at least six (6) months in advance. Further information is available in the Sacraments section of the mission website. The mission facilities are not available for wedding receptions.

Special Events

The parish holds a number of special events and meetings throughout the year. Check the Parish Events Calendar for current information.

Unique Attractions

  • This well-preserved handsome mission was never totally abandoned. California's first seminary/college was built on this site in 1844.
  • The mission church's interior design dates to 1825. The nave was recently embellished with additional floral motifs.
  • The mission museum (which you will reach in a stroll down the colonnade) is well worth a visit.
  • Santa Inés is known for the number and quality of its mission-era paintings. This painting of Saint Raphael was done by mission neophytes.
  • This mission also has an extensive collection of church vestments, which date from the 17th century.
  • The inviting area behind the mission has a formal garden.
  • The mission cemetery is located beyond the garden, directly behind the bell tower.
  • Another item to explore on the grounds of Santa Inés are the outdoor Stations of the Cross.
 
Indian Painting of Saint Raphael
Indian Painting of Saint Raphael
Santa Inés Vestment Collection
Santa Inés Vestment Collection
Cloister Gardens at Mission Santa Inés
Cloister Gardens at Mission Santa Inés
Mission Santa Inés Cemetery
Mission Santa Inés Cemetery
Stations of the Cross at Mission Santa Inés
Stations of the Cross at Mission Santa Inés

Other Historic Attractions

Try to find time to explore the town of Solvang founded in 1911 by a group of Dutch educators. This is an ideal place for lunch or dinner. Check out the official Solvang Visitor Guide website for a detailed list of events, places to visit, things to do and see.

Tips for Visitors

  • Allocate at least two (2) hours to explore and enjoy this mission and its special attractions.
  • Try to pick a sunny day for your visit. Some of the important attractions are outdoors.
  • At the rear of the parking area in front of the mission (near the exit road) is a telescope available for viewing the ruins of the old mills which are not yet open to the public. This land is owned by the California State Parks with long-term plans to provide public access.
Mission Santa Inés Tanning Mills
Mission Santa Inés Tanning Mills

Year Secularized

1834

Year Returned to Catholic Church

1862

Patron Saint (Named For)

Saint Agnes of Rome, a thirteen (13) year old Roman girl martyred in A.D. 304.

Prominent Missionary Leaders

  • Founding Father President - Fr. Estévan Tápis (c. 1756-1825) who served as Father President from 1803-1812.
  • Founding Missionaries - Fr. José Antonio Calzada and Fr. Romualdo Gutiérez
Fr. Estevan Tapis, Founding Father President of Mission Santa Inés
Fr. Estevan Tapis, Founding Father President of Mission Santa Inés

Indians Joining Mission

This mission is located in the land of the Chumash people and was initially populated by neophytes from Missions Santa Bárbara and La Purísima. The neophytes at Santa Inés were referred to as Inezeno (after the mission). They were one of three distinct linguistic/geographic entities of the East Coastal Chumash.

Mission Site

An inland mission, Santa Inés was established near a rancheria, Alajulspu, in the Santa Inez Valley and sits on its original site. The mission is on the eastern edge of the town of Solvang, founded in 1911 by a group of Danish educators. Note that the name of the valley and the town of Santa Inez is spelled with a "z" while the mission is spelled with an "s".

Mission Layout

Traditional quadrangle and neophyte housing area.

Water Source

Both Alamo Pintado Creek and Zanja de Cota Creek passed through the mission lands. Water was channeled via an elaborate system of canals into two stone-lined reservoirs, a lavendería, and a mill complex about one-half (1/2) mile from the mission.

Population

The mission was established late in the mission era and only operated for thirty (30) years. There were relatively few natives in the immediate area. The highest mission population was only 768 in 1815.

Livestock

Santa Inés had a large and relatively stable livestock herd. In 1832 the mission had 9,460 animals, including 7,000 cattle and 2,000 sheep.

Santa Inés Cattle Brand
Santa Inés Cattle Brand

Agricultural Output

Over the years between 1804 and 1832 Santa Inés harvested over 121,000 bushels of wheat, barley, corn, beans, peas, lentils, garbanzos (chickpeas), and habas (broad beans). It had the second highest production of wheat in the entire chain.

Mission Church

The current church with its plain façade dates to 1817. The interior was repainted with the current design in 1825. The nave was repainted in 1911 and rebuilt with five (5) bells. It was restored to its original design in 1947. The mission museum displays the bells of 1804, 1808, and 1818.

Santa Inés Church Interior
Santa Inés Church Interior

Mission Bells

After the bell wall collapsed in 1911, it was rebuilt with five bells. It was finally restored to original design in 1947.

Santa Inés Bell Wall Repair
Santa Inés Bell Wall Repair

Mission Art and Artifacts

The mission is known for its extensive collection of church vestments which date from the 17th century through the 20th century. They include a chasuble worn by Fr. Junípero Serra and a 17th century cape crafted in materials from the Court of Louis XIV of France. The impressive mission museum includes a painting of the Archangel Raphael rendered on canvas by an Inezeño or neophyte convert of Santa Inés.

Santa Inés Vestment Collection
Santa Inés Vestment Collection
Indian Painting of Saint Raphael
Indian Painting of Saint Raphael

Mill Ruins

Santa Inés had two mills about one-half (1/2) mile from the mission complex: a grist mill, built in 1820 and a fulling mill completed in 1821. The Zanja de Cota Creek fed this system, which consisted of two large stone reservoirs, a stone mill building with a water-propelled horizontal wheel and millstone, and a network of zanies or canals. There is currently no public access to the mill ruins which are now owned by the California State Parks with long-term plans to provide public access in a new State Park in Solvang.

Mission Santa Inés Tanning Mills
Mission Santa Inés Tanning Mills

Significant Events

The largest Indian uprising in the mission era began at Santa Inés in 1824 triggered by the excessive beating of a neophyte by a soldier.

Santa Inés Indian Uprising of 1824
Santa Inés Indian Uprising of 1824

Interesting Facts

  • The mission served as a buffer against a hostile Indian group, the Tulares, who occupied the region to the northeast.
  • Santa Inés was never totally abandoned after secularization. California's first seminary/college Our Lady of Refuge was built in 1844 on the mission grounds.
  • Mamie Goulet, the niece of Father Alexander Buckler, devoted twenty (20) years (1904-1924) to the restoration of the vestments of Santa Inés.

For Additional Information

  • Ching, J. (2004). Mission Santa Inés. (PowerKids Press, Missions of California Series) .
  • Baer, K. (1956). The Treasures of Mission Santa Inés (Covers the history, lists and describes the paintings, sculpture, and craft works at this mission).
  • Engelhardt, Z. (1932). Mission Santa Inés: Virgen y Mártir and Its Ecclesiastical Seminary. (The definitive early history of the mission).