Visitas

Visitas or asistencias were smaller sub-missions of Catholic missions established during the 16th-19th centuries of the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the Philippines. They allowed the Catholic church and the Spanish crown to extend their reach into native populations at a modest cost.

Description

Visitas served missions and were much smaller than the main missions with living quarters, workshops and crops in addition to a church. They were typically staffed with a small group of clergymen and a relatively small group of indigenous neophytes in order to maintain the complex.

Particularly strategic visitas were later elevated to the status of a full mission. This typically included an expansion of existing facilities to support a larger clergy and indigenous neophyte population, improvement of basic infrastructure such as roads, and rechristening under a new Catholic saint.^[1][2]

San Antonio de Pala, an asistencia of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, is located in Pala, California

In Spanish Florida, visitas were mission stations without a resident missionary. Church buildings at visitas were simple, or sometimes absent.^[3] Visitas were often in satellite villages associated with a town with a doctrina (a mission with one or more resident missionaries).

History

The first visita that was founded and documented seems to be a visita established in the village of Soloy (in modern day Florida). Pedro Menéndez de Avilés designated it to become a blockhouse in 1567, but it became a visita to Mission Nombre de Dios in the beginning of the 1600s.^[4]

More visitas were established in Spanish Florida during the early 1600s, but the only ones that seem to have been documented were four visitas to Mission San Pedro de Mocama and nine visitas to Mission San Juan del Puerto.^[4]

During the early 1600s, visitas were founded in present day New Mexico and Sonora. Almost a century and a half later, the third and final visita in New Mexico was established, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Pojoaque.^[5]

The last visita to be founded in Sonora was San Valentin de Bisanig (later renamed San Juan Bisaning) in 1706.^[6] Missions stopped being founded after 1772, when Father Juan Crisóstomo Gil de Bernabé founded the mission Carrizal (also known as Carrizel^[6]) and was martyred the year later, on March (6, 8, or 9). Father Antonio Caxa designated March 8, 1774 as the day to honor Bernabé.^[7]

Starting in 1684 with the founding of Mission San Bruno in Baja California Sur by Spanish admiral Isidro de Atondo y Antillón and Father Eusebio Kino,^[8] missions started to be founded in Baja California and Baja California Sur, along with visitas.

The first visita founded there was San Juan Bautista Londó in 1699, which served Mission Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó.^[9] The final visita in Baja California and Baja California Sur was established in 1798 as San Telmo, which served Mission Santo Domingo de la Frontera.^[10]

In 1687, Father Eusebio Kino started to establish missions in Pimería Alta, as well as visitas. In what is modern day Arizona, he established visitas at Huachuca, Quiburi, and Santa Cruz, as well as one called San Ignacio de Sonoitac.^[11][12] Sonoitac was originally just a ranchería which was said to have a bigger population than the Guevavi, Tumacácori, and Calabazas settlements. A church was built, it became a visita, and it was named San Ignacio de Sonoitac after or around 1737.^[13]

In 1692, San Agustín del Tucson was established by Kino as a visita to Mission San Xavier del Bac, but became a mission in 1768 as Mission San Cosme y Damián de Tucsón.^[12]

In 1749 and 1750, along the Lower Rio Grande Valley, there was a large colonization effort, mainly led by José de Escandón. The towns of Reynosa, Camargo, Mier, and Guerrero were established in present-day Mexico, along with missions.^[14] However, the visitas that were built to serve those missions were established in present-day Texas, technically making them the only visitas established within its current boundaries.^[14]

The mission system in California started with the founding of Mission San Diego de Alcala in 1769 by Father Junipero Serra.^[15] The first asistencia in California, Santa Paula, was founded around 1782 to Mission San Buenaventura. More asistencias were established to 6 out of the 21 missions in California.

America

The following are lists of visitas in America, sorted by year of establishment.

California

Spanish asistencias in California

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	References
Santa Paula		34.35584, -119.05086	1782 or after	It served Mission San Buenaventura.
Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles		34.05702, -118.2392	1784	It served Mission San Gabriel Arcángel.
San Pedro y San Pablo		37.58714, -122.49391	1786	It served Mission San Francisco de Asís.	[2]
Santa Margarita de Cortona		35.40197, -120.6122	1787	It served Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.	[16]
Santa Gertrudis		34.34752, -119.29704	Between 1792 and 1809	It served Mission San Buenaventura.	[17]
San Antonio de Pala		33.36591, -117.07419	June 13, 1816	It served Mission San Luis Rey de Francia.
San Rafael Arcángel		37.97427, -122.52798	1817	It originally served Mission San Francisco de Asís, and later became a mission in 1822.
Santa Ysabel		33.13057, -116.67786	1818	It served Mission San Diego de Alcalá.
Las Flores		33.299722, -117.460833	1823	It served Mission San Luis Rey de Francia.

Arizona

Spanish visitas in Arizona

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	References
Walpi		Below First Mesa	Around 1629	It served Mission San Francisco de Oraibi. The visita name is unknown.	[18][19][20][21][22]
San Buenaventura de Mishóngnovi		Below Second Mesa	Around 1629	It served Mission San Bartolomé de Shungópove.	[18][19][20][21][22]
San Cayetano del Tumacácori		On the east side of the Santa Cruz River	January 1691	It served Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi during all of its years as San Cayetano, and a few years as San José.	[23]
Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi		31.41007, -110.90198	1691	It was originally founded as a mission in 1691, but became a visita of San José de Tumacacori around 1773.	[24]
San Ignacio de Sonoitac		Near Patagonia	1692	It served Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi.	[25]
San Agustín del Tucson		32.21346, -110.98703	1692	It served Mission San Xavier del Bac. In 1768, it was elevated to the status of mission and became the Mission San Cosme y Damián de Tucsón.	[12]
San Martín de Aribac		Arivaca	1695	Also known as Santa Gertrudes de Arivaca, it served Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi. Described as being 10 leagues (26 miles) away from Guevavi, which is only a couple miles off from the current measurement of 27.8 miles.	[26][27][28][29]
San Joaquín de Basosucan		Babacomari Ranch	1696-1697	Also known as San Joaquín de Huachuca.	[26][30][31]
Santa Cruz de Gaybanipitea		Along the San Pedro River	Around 1731	It served Mission Santa María Suamca. Also known as Santa Cruz de Jauanipicta, it, along with Quiburi, was founded along the San Pedro River.	[26][27][30]
Santa Ana de Quiburi		Along the San Pedro River	Around 1731	It served Mission Santa María Suamca.	[11][31][32]
San Cayetano de Calabazas		31.45252, -110.95945	1756	It served Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi (and later was an estancia of Mission San José de Tumacácori). It later had a resident priest, meaning it became a mission. It was downgraded back to a visita of Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi in 1784 and abandoned in 1786.	[33][34]
Santa Gertrudis de Tubac			By 1763	It served Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi.

New Mexico

Spanish visitas in New Mexico

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	References
San Buenaventura de Cochití		35.608056; -106.345833	Early 1600s	It served Mission Santo Domingo, but later became a mission.	[35]
San Buenaventura de Humanas		34.25962, -106.09231	1626	It served Mission San Gregorio de Abó, and by 1629 became an actual mission.	[36]
San Luis Obispo de Sevilleta			1627	It was originally a mission, but was later downgraded to a visita of Nuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro. Abandoned in 1680.	[37]
Santa Clara		35.96783, -106.08796	1628	It first served Mission San Juan Bautista de los Caballeros. It was destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt and then rebuilt to serve Mission San Ildefonso. It was remodeled around 1900 with a new roof which caused it to collapse in 1905. Rebuilt again around 1914 and remodeled in the 1960s.	[38]
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Pojoaque			Around 1765	It served San Francisco de Nambé.	[5]

Texas

Spanish visitas in Texas

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	References
San Agustín de Laredo (Camargo)		26.37135, -98.8563	1749	It served Mission San Agustín de Laredo, which was located in Camargo.	[39]
San Joaquin del Monte (Reynosa)		26.10515, -98.26046	1749	It served Mission San Joaquín del Monte, which was located in Reynosa.	[39][14]
La Purísima Concepción (Mier)		26.46043, -99.02966	1750	It served Mission La Purísima Concepción, which was located in Mier.	[39][14]
San Francisco Solano de Ampuero (Revilla)		26.90166, -99.26678	1750	It served Mission San Francisco Solano de Ampuero, which was located in present-day Guerrero.	[39][14]

Spanish Florida

Known Spanish visitas in Spanish Florida

Name	Location	Established	Notes	References
Soloy	Florida	1567	Originally a blockhouse, but by the beginning of the 1600s, became a visita of Mission Nombre de Dios. It was two leagues north of the mission.	[40]
San José de Zapala	31.51544, -81.24218	By 1597	It served either Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Tolomato or Mission Santa Clara de Tupiqui. It had a convent by 1616, and it became a mission.	[41][42]
Tocoy	Florida	By 1602	It served Mission San Sebastián. It was around five leagues due west of St. Augustine.	[43]
Santa María de la Sena	Amelia Island	1602	It served Mission San Pedro de Mocama. It was also called Santa Catalina de Santa María and Santa Catalina or Santa María de Guale. It later moved to St. Augustine and was called Santa Catarina de Guale.	[44][45][46][47]
San Antonio (de Aratabo/Arapaha)	Possibly Georgia	1602	It served Mission San Pedro de Mocama. Later (probably around 1610), Fray Pedro Viniegra resided in the visita, meaning it later became a mission.	[48]
Chica Faya la Madalena	Possibly Georgia	By 1602	It served Mission San Pedro de Mocama. Said to be located alongside San Antonio.	[48]
Veracruz	Florida	1602	It served Mission San Juan del Puerto. It was one-half league away from the mission.	[48]
(San Francisco de) Molo/Moloa	Florida	By 1602	It served Mission San Juan del Puerto. It was five leagues from the mission. It most likely gained a convent by 1604, and definitely had one by 1610, when Fray Pedro Bermejo was noted to be the "definitor guardian", meaning it later became a mission.	[48]
Potayo	Florida	By 1602	It served Mission San Juan del Puerto. It was four leagues from the mission.	[49]
San Mateo	Florida	By 1602	It served Mission San Juan del Puerto. It was two leagues from the mission. The region near the site had a fort which secured the entrance of the St. Johns River.	[49]
San Pablo	Florida	By 1602	It served Mission San Juan del Puerto. It was one league and a half away from the mission.	[49]
Hicachirico	Florida	1602	It served Mission San Juan del Puerto. It was one league from the mission.	[50]
Chinisca	Florida	By 1602	It served Mission San Juan del Puerto. It was one league and a half from the mission.	[50]
Carabay/Sarabay	Florida	By 1602	It served Mission San Juan del Puerto. It was a fourth of a league from the mission.	[50]
Espogache	Georgia	By 1603	It served Mission Santo Domingo de Talaxe (also known as Santo Domingo de Asao and Santo Domingo de Talaje). It eventually became a mission center.	[51]
Olatayco	Possibly Georgia	By 1604	It served Mission San Pedro de Mocama.	[52]
San Francisco de Potano	29.72993, -82.44179	1607	In 1607, Fray Prieto visited San Francisco de Potano, starting the construction of a church. Prieto later moved to San Miguel, and left San Francisco de Potano as a visita. Prieto traveled daily from his residence to minister to the Potano. By 1616, it was the site of a convent, meaning it later became a mission.	[53][54]
Yoa	Georgia	By 1609	It served Mission Santa Catalina de Guale. Identified by John Tate Lanning as "two leagues up a mainland river back of the bars of Zapala [Sapelo Sound] and Cofonufo [St. Catherines Sound]".	[55]
Apalo	Florida	By 1616	It probably served Mission San Francisco de Potano.	[56]
Santa Cruz de Cachipile	30.66337, -83.20622	By 1655	It served Mission San Ildefonso de Chamile.	[57][58]
Santa Ana	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Potohiriba.	[59]
San(ta) ?	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Matheo de Tolapatafi.	[60]
San(ta) ?	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Matheo de Tolapatafi.	[60]
San(ta) ?	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Matheo de Tolapatafi.	[60]
San(ta) ?	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Matheo de Tolapatafi.	[60]
San(ta) ?	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Matheo de Tolapatafi.	[60]
San(ta) ?	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Matheo de Tolapatafi.	[60]
San(ta) ?	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Matheo de Tolapatafi.	[60]
San(ta) ?	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Matheo de Tolapatafi.	[60]
San(ta) ?	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Matheo de Tolapatafi.	[60]
San Juan	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Lorenzo de Ivitachuco.	[61]
San Pablo	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Lorenzo de Ivitachuco.	[61]
San Nicolás	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Lorenzo de Ivitachuco.	[61]
Ayapasca	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Lorenzo de Ivitachuco.	[61]
	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission La Concepción de Ayubale. It is likely that Ayubale had more than one visita.	[62]
	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Francisco de Oconi.	[63]
	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Patale.	[64]
	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Patale.	[64]
	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission Santa María de Bacuqua.	[65]
San Cosme	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Cosme y San Damián de Cupaica.	[66]
	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Cosme y San Damián de Cupaica.	[66]
	Florida	By 1657	It served Mission San Cosme y San Damián de Cupaica.	[66]
San Pedro	Florida	By 1657 (?)	It served Mission San Cosme y San Damián de Cupaica.	[67]
Ypaja	Florida	By 1697 (?)	It may have been a visita.	[68]
Piritiriba	Florida	By 1701	It served Mission San Juan del Puerto. It was three leagues away from the mission.	[69]

Mexico

The following are lists of visitas in Mexico, sorted by year of establishment.

Baja California

Spanish visitas in Baja California

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	Reference
Calamajué		30.96805, -116.09194	1766	It served Misión San Francisco Borja.	[70][10]
San Juan de Dios		30.18266, -115.16791	1769	It served Misión San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá.	[71][10]
San Telmo		30.96805, -116.09194	1798	It served Misión Santo Domingo de la Frontera.	[10]
San Isidoro		30.76527, -115.54722		It served Misión San Pedro Mártir de Verona.	[10]
Santa Ana		28.69027, -113.82055		It served Misión San Francisco Borja de Adac.	[10]

Baja California Sur

Spanish visitas in Baja California Sur

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	Reference
San Juan Bautista Londó		26.22521, -111.47354	1699	It served Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó.	[10]
Angel de la Guarda		23.89111, -110.17083	1721	It served Misión de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de La Paz Airapí.	[10]
La Pasión		24.88777, -111.02871	1741	It served Mission San Luis Gonzaga.	[72][73][10]
La Presentación		25.72893, -111.54366	1769	It served Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó	[10]
San Pablo (y/o Los Dolores de Arriba)		27.70184, -113.14484		It served Misión Nuestra Señora de los Dolores del Sur Chillá.	[10]
San Jacinto		23.24277, -110.07722		It served Misión Santa Rosa de las Palmas.	[10]

Sonora

Spanish visitas in Sonora

Name	Image	Location	Established	Notes	Reference
Concepción Curimpo			After 1614	It served Mission Natividad Navojoa.	[74]
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Tepahui			After 1614	It served Mission San Andrés Conicari.	[75]
San Ignacio de Tesia			Around 1614	It served Mission Santa Catarina de Camoa.	[75]
Espíritu Santo Cócorit			Before 1617	Established as a mission some time before 1617. After 1617, it served Mission Santa Rosa de Bácum.	[76]
Trinidad Potam			1617	It served Mission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Rahum.	[77]
San Francisco Xavier de Cumuripa			1619	It originally served Mission San Francisco de Borja de Tecoripa. Later it became a headquarters mission with two visitas.	[76]
San Francisco Buenavista			1619	It served Mission San Francisco Xavier de Cumuripa. In 1765, a presidio was built here, as well as a new church whose construction started in 1772. The visita is now underwater.	[78]
San José de Pimas			1620	It originally served Mission San Francisco de Borja de Tecoripa. It became a headquarters mission in 1771.	[79]
San Ignacio de Suaqui			1620	It served Mission San Francisco de Borja de Tecoripa.	[80]
San Joaquin y Santa Ana de Nuri			1622	It served Mission Santa Maria de Movas.	[81]
San Ignacio Bacanora			1627	It originally served Mission San Francisco Xavier de Arivechi, but by 1793, it served Mission Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Sahuaripa.	[82]
Santa Rosalía de Onapa			1627	It served Mission San Francisco Xavier de Arivechi. It eventually became a mission with two/three visitas.	[81]
Pondia			1627	It served Mission San Francisco Xavier de Arivechi.	[79]
San Francisco de Soyopa			1628	It served Mission San Ignacio (de Loyola) de Ónavas. The visita is also known as San Joseph de Soyopa	[80]
Santa María del Populo de Tónichi			1629	It served Mission San Ignacio (de Loyola) de Ónavas. The visita is also known as Nuestra Señora del Populo de Tonintzi	[83]
Nuestra Senora Asuncion Alamos			1629	It served Mission San José de Mátape.	[82]
Santa Cruz de Nácori			1629	It served Mission San José de Mátape.	[81]
Santa Rosalia			1637	It served Mission San Miguel de Ures.	[77]
Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de Baviácora			1638	It was originally founded as a head mission, with a visita at San Pedro Aconchi. Later, it became a visita of Aconchi.	[78]
Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Nacámeri			1638	It served Mission San Miguel de Ures, Mission Nuestra Señora del Populo del Seri, and Mission Nuestra Señora de la Ascención de Opodepe, in chronological order.	[81]
San Pedro Aconchi			1639	It was initially founded as a visita of Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de Baviácora. Over time, that mission became its visita.	[84]
San Lorenzo de Güepaca			1639	Also known as San Lorenzo de Huépac, it had a visita at Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Banámichi. Later, it became a visita of Banámichi.	[74]
Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Beramitzi		30.00765, -110.21768	1639	Also known as Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Banámichi. It originally served Mission San Lorenzo de Güepaca. It eventually became a head mission, with the mission it used to serve (Guepaca) as its visita.	[84]
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Opodepe			1644	Originally served Mission Los Santos Reyes de Cucurpe. In 1762, it became a mission, with Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Nacameri as its visita.	[79]
San Luis Gonzága de Bacadéhuachi			1645	It served Mission Nuestra Señora de Nácori Chico. Eventually, it became a mission with two visitas (one of them being San Ignacio Mochapa).	[82]
Santo Tomás de Serva			1645	It served Mission Nuestra Señora de Nácori Chico.	[80]
San Ignacio Mochapa			1645	It served Mission San Luis Gonzága de Bacadéhuachi	[85]
San Miguel de Bavispe			1645	It served Mission Santa María de Baserac. It may have become a head mission.	[78]
San Juan Evangelista de Huachinera			1645	Originally served Mission Santa María de Baserac. It became a mission by 1688 and had one visita.	[74]
San Ignacio de Oputo			1645	It served Mission San Francisco Xavier de Guásavas.	[79]
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Cumpas			1645	It originally served Mission San Miguel Arcángel de Oposura, then served Mission San Francisco Xavier de Guásavas.	[76]
San Ignacio de Sinoquipe			1646	It served Mission Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Beramitzi. The church was being restored during 1955 and 1956.	[80]
San Miguel Tuape			1647	It served Mission Los Santos Reyes de Cucurpe.
San Miguel Bacoachi			1648	It served Mission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Arizpe.	[82]
San José de Chinapa			1648	It served Mission Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Arizpe. Briefly an independent mission.	[76]
Santa Rosa de Tebadéguachi			1653	It served Mission (Nuestro Padre) San Ignacio de Cuquiarachi.
Guadalupe de T(e)uricachi			1653	It served Mission (Nuestro Padre) San Ignacio de Cuquiarachi.	[83]
San Francisco Xavier de Rebeico			1673	It served Mission San José de Mátape.	[77]
San Ildefonso de Yécora			1673	It originally served Mission Santa Rosalia de Onapa. Later it had a visita at San Francisco Xavier de Maicoba.	[86]
San Francisco Xavier de Maicoba			1676	It served Mission San Ildefonso de Yécora.	[85]
San José de Imuris			1687	It served Mission (Nuestro Padre) de San Ignacio de Cabórica.	[85]
San Juan de Bisani(n)g			Likely 1690's	It served Mission La Purísima Concepción de Nuestra Señora de Caborca. On Valentine's Day, 1694, it became a mission, and was named San Valentin del Bizani. However, it stayed as a visita for most of its life after.	[87][88]
Santa María Magdalena		30.6302, -110.9734	1690	It served Mission (Nuestro Padre) de San Ignacio de Cabórica. It may have had a visita at one point.	[85][89][90]
San Antonio (Paduano) de(l) Oquitoa		30.74371, -111.73494	1690	Founded by Father Eusebio Kino as a visita to Mission San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama. In 1756 it was a visita of Mission Santa Teresa de Atil.	[79][91]
Santa Teresa de Atil			1692	It served Mission San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama.
San Diego del Pitiquito		30.67504, -112.05761	1694	It served Mission La Purísima Concepción de Nuestra Señora de Caborca.	[79][92]
San Lázaro			1695	It served Mission Santa María Suamca.	[93][77]
San Luis Baconacos			1697	At various times, it served Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi. Originally, Father Eusebio Kino founded a ranch here, and by 1706 its church was built.	[78]
Santa María de Bugota/Santa María de Suamca			1698	It served Mission Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Santiago de Cocóspera. Founded by Father Eusebio Kino. He said the first mass there in 1698, but the actual church was built in 1706.	[94]
San Ambrosio del Busanic y Tucubavia			1698	It served Mission Santa Gertrudis del Sáric.	[94]
San Bernardo de Aquimuri			Between 1700-1701	Founded by Father Eusebio Kino. It served Mission Santa Gertrudis del Sáric. By 1706, a church was built here, and stood till at least 1772.	[82]
San Ildefonso de Ostimuri				It served Mission Santa Rosalia de Onapa.	[79]

See also

• Estancia – Spanish colonial ranch
• Reductions