San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo

San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo

General Information

Founded:

June 3, 1770 - The 2nd California Mission

Also Called:

Mission Carmel - During the mission era the mission's official name was San Carlos Borroméo de Monterey (after its original location).

Current Status:

This is an active Roman Catholic Church designated a Minor Basilica in 1961 by Pope John XXIII.

Summary:

San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, headquarters of the California missions, was founded on June 3, 1770. The stunning Mission Carmel church was completed in 1797. This mission contains a great deal of significant art and original artifacts. The Serra Memorial Cenotaph (sculpted by Jo Mora in 1924) is a special attraction.

Directions

The mission is about three (3) miles south of Monterey, reached via Highway U.S. 1. After passing the turn for Carmel by the Sea, as the road descends into the Carmel Valley, turn right on Rio Road. The mission is 6/10ths of a mile on the left.

Phone(s)

831-624-3600 - Gift Shop/Mission

831-624-1271 - Church Rectory

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.

Weddings and Other Special Services

The Parish publishes extensive information on the requirements for and scheduling of weddings on their mission website.

Unique Attractions

  • One of the best views of this mission is from the elevated pathway on the far right of the large parking area in front of the mission. This gives you a panoramic view of Mission Carmel.
  • You begin your tour in the front courtyard, which contains an inviting fountain, and a statue of Junípero Serra, the founder of the mission.
  • The mission cemetery is on the side of the church. The curator who guided the mission restoration for almost five decades (Sir Harry Downie) and his wife are buried in the cemetery.
  • The front courtyard also offers a good view of the mission's two dissimilar bell towers, one with a Moorish-style dome. The larger tower holds nine bells.
  • You enter the church from the front courtyard.
  • The interior of the church has been extensively restored.
  • The first two Father-Presidents of the mission, Junípero Serra and Fermin Francisco de Lasuen are buried side by side near the sanctuary of the mission.
  • One of the most popular mission attractions is the elaborate Serra Memorial Cenotaph (a monument not a tomb), sculpted by Jo Mora in 1924. This shows life-sized figures of Fr. Serra and three other pioneer missionaries.
  • The second (rear) courtyard contains the original mission fountain and a large wooden cross, recreated on the site where fragments of the cross erected by Fr. Serra were found during the mission restoration.
San Carlos Borroméo Statue of Junípero Serra
San Carlos Borroméo Statue of Junípero Serra
Mission Carmel Altar
Mission Carmel Altar
San Carlos Borroméo Burial Site of Frs. Serra and Lasuen
San Carlos Borroméo Burial Site of Frs. Serra and Lasuen
San Carlos Borroméo Replica of Original Cross
San Carlos Borroméo Replica of Original Cross

Other Historic Attractions

  • If you are driving to Carmel from San Francisco, try to set aside two to three full days to visit both this mission and Mission San Juan Bautista, two of the "MUST NOT MISS" missions in California.
  • The town of Carmel is a destination that most visitors will enjoy and where many will stay. It is filled with a variety of shopping and dining experiences.

Tips for Visitors

  • It is easy to be overwhelmed by this mission. By all means, wander initially, but a systematic, second tour is warranted as it is easy to miss certain attractions.
  • Be sure to visit the Orchard House, c. 1774, which is the oldest residential dwelling in California, and now contains informative displays (it is located off the front courtyard).

Year Secularized

1834

Year Returned to Catholic Church

1859

Patron Saint (Named For)

Saint Charles of Borroméo, a 16th century Italian cardinal.

Prominent Missionary Leaders

  • Founding Father President - Fr. Junípero Serra who was also the founding missionary. Saint Serra, who was canonized by Pope Francis I in 2015, is buried at this mission.
  • Prominent Missionary Leaders - San Carlos Borroméo remained at the mission headquarters after the death of Fr. Junípero Serra, whose successor Fr. Fermin Francisco de Lasuén was located at Mission Carmel for 17 years.
San Carlos Borroméo Father Junípero Serra
San Carlos Borroméo Father Serra
Portrait of Fermin Francisco de Lasuen
Portrait of Fermin Francisco de Lasuen

Indians Joining Mission

The Rumsen tribelet (of the Costanoan family) and the Esselen were the principal groups whose members joined this mission. Other Costanoans (called Costeños or coast people by the Spanish) included the Sargantroc, Guachirron, and Kalendaruc.

Monterey Area Indians
Monterey Area Indians

Mission Site

Originally established at the presidio in Monterey but relocated in 1771 to the Carmel Valley on a hillside that was "two gunshots" from the ocean. The mission was a relatively primitive series of buildings until the current church was completed in 1797.

San Carlos Borroméo Mission 1791
San Carlos Borroméo Mission 1791

Mission Layout

An irregular shaped quadrangle. Only the ruins of the church remained standing when restoration began so extensive excavation of the old foundation was required to determine the precise layout of the mission.

Water Source

A zanja or aqueduct and nearby springs that once fed the mission fountain and lavanderia or washbasin supply the water.

Population

The highest recorded population was 876 in 1795.

Livestock

San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo had one of the smaller livestock herds: 2,100 cattle and 3,300 sheep in 1832. The mission's best livestock years were in the first decade of the 19th century when the herd ranged between 8-10,000.

San Carlos Borroméo Cattle Brand
San Carlos Borroméo Cattle Brand

Mission Church

The stunning Carmel Church (the seventh Carmel Church) was completed and dedicated in 1797. Indian laborers under the direction of master stonemasons Manuel Esteban Ruiz and Santiago Ruiz quarried the sandstone for the church. The walls are five feet thick at the base.

After the mission era, San Carlos Borroméo was largely abandoned. The roof of the church collapsed in 1851. In 1884 a pitched shingle roof was added, marring the once graceful roofline. In 1936 the roof was rebuilt to its original roofline.

San Carlos Borroméo 1920's
San Carlos Borroméo 1920's

Mission Bells

There are two dissimilar bell towers, one with a Moorish-style dome. The largest tower holds nine bells, most of which are original. There is an outside staircase to the tower.

Mission Art and Artifacts

Mission Carmel is filled with significant art and original artifacts. One of the most notable mission era attractions is a large wooden cross in the quadrangle, recreated on the site where fragments of the cross erected by Fr. Serra were discovered during the restoration of the mission.

San Carlos Borroméo Replica of Original Cross
San Carlos Borroméo Replica of Original Cross

Significant Event(s)

In 1818 Hippolyte de Bouchard, an Argentine privateer, attacked and burned Monterey. The Carmel Mission was evacuated but it was not harmed.

Interesting Facts

  • San Carlos Borroméo was headquarters of the mission chain from 1770-1803.
  • The Carmel Mission Orchard House of c. 1774 is the oldest residential dwelling in California.
  • The noted mission restorer, Sir Harry Downie (1903-1980), appointed the Carmel curator in 1932, guided the mission restoration for almost five decades, personally carving the reredos and pulpit of the church in 1956-57. Downie is buried in the mission cemetery.
  • Junípero Serra was selected to represent the State of California in Statuary Hall in Washington D.C. Sculptor Ettore Cadorin's seven (7) foot tall statue of Fr. Serra was unveiled in 1939. It shows Serra holding a model of the Mission Carmel Church.
  • San Carlos Borroméo is a popular destination for visitors, including President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, who toured the mission in 1960.
  • On September 23, 2015, Pope Francis I canonized Junípero Serra. Saint Serra's feast day is July 1st.
Mission Carmel President Kennedy Visit
Mission Carmel President Kennedy Visit

For Additional Information

  • Pagliarulo, C. (2005). Harry Downie and the Contents of the Mission San Carlos Borromeo, 1931-1967. Historical Society of Southern California.
  • Coy, O.C. (Ed.) (1921). Architectural History of Mission San Carlos Borromeo. California Historical Survey Commission.
  • Engelhardt, Z (1934 & 1971). Mission San Carlos Borromeo. Ballena Press. (The definitive early history of the mission).