As a Set Designer, one thing I remember

I hope to add photos from our recent visit soon and hope to return again in the fall.

San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo is considered by many to be the most beautiful of the California Missions. It served as Father Serra's headquarters and is where he was buried upon his death in 1784. Originally founded in Monterey, after a year the mission was moved to the Carmel Valley which was closer to the native population and better for agriculture.

The church at Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo took four years to construct and was completed in 1797. It is one of only three stone mission churches in California. Other stone churches are at Mission San Juan Capistrano and Mission Santa Barbara. The church is unusual in that the walls taper inward forming a catenary arch rather than flat as was usual. The Moorish influenced bell tower has an outside stairway.

With secularization, all the mission lands were sold off except the church site. The stone church was abandoned, collapsed in 1851, and stood roofless for 30 years. When a new roof was installed in 1884, the pitch was wrong and was not corrected until 1930. The mission became a parish church in 1933 and has been in the process of being restored since.

Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo is located at the south end of the small community with the long name, Carmel-by-the-Sea. Exit Highway 1 at Rio Road heading west. After about one mile, the mission is on the left. Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo is a few miles south of the historic city of Monterey.