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38-589: On September 16, 1712, the first Fiesta council signed a proclamation declaring there should be a celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the 1692 reconquest (recolonization) of New Mexico by General Don Diego de Vargas (1643–1704). The Spanish were earlier expelled from the city by neighboring Pueblo people during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and spent the next 12 years in exile in El Paso del Norte (now Ciudad Juárez, Mexico). The King of Spain appointed de Vargas to lead

76-690: A celebration of the history of New Mexico from prehistoric times to the annexation by the United States and rooted in the culture of the Native Americans , Hispanos and Anglos . During the twentieth century the event became increasingly commercialized. From 1925 to 1932 the Spanish Colonial Arts Society sold santos during the Fiesta, an event that spun off as its own celebration called Spanish Market. In protest to Hewett's charging of admission to

114-625: A feast in her honor. Today, this feast continues to be celebrated annually in Santa Fe as the Fiestas de Santa Fe . Part of those annual fiestas is a novena of masses in thanksgiving. Those masses are also done with processions from the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi to the Rosario Chapel. The actual statue of La Conquistadora is taken in the processions. After the novena is completed she

152-539: A public event in 2020, but they did stream some events including the burning of Zozobra. A similar streamed event occurred in 2021. In 2016, Al Hurricane Jr. had released a song titled "La Fiesta de Santa Fe". During the first full Fiesta since the pandemic, held in 2022, the bandstand featured him, and other New Mexico music performances; by musicians including Sangre Joven, Divino, The Dwyane Ortega Band, and dances from Indigenous Pueblo Dancers, Los Matachines de Bernalillo , and Popé 's Dancers. The start of Fiestas

190-636: A reenactment of Don Diego de Vargas's return to the city, a children's pet parade, the Historical/Hysterical Parade, the Fiesta Ball and Roman Catholic masses of thanksgiving. During the festival, the Santa Fe Plaza is filled with arts & crafts and food booths, and mariachis play throughout the city. Fiestas concludes with mass at the St. Francis Cathedral followed by a candlelight procession to

228-401: Is buried in the crypt beneath the cathedral floor. The statue was dedicated in 1915. Fourteen life-size sculptures by Gib Singleton represent stages during the events in the hours leading up to Jesus' crucifixion as developed by St. Francis of Assisi. The Prayer Garden is sited in the remnant of Bishop Lamy's once-extensive gardens on the cathedral grounds. The keystone in the arch above

266-593: Is known for leading the reconquest of the territory in 1692 following the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. This reconquest is commemorated annually during the Fiestas de Santa Fe in the city of Santa Fe . On 10 August 1680, Pueblo people from various pueblos in northern New Mexico staged an uprising against Spanish colonists. They laid siege to the city of Santa Fe, forcing the colonists to retreat on 20 August. The Spanish colonists fled south to El Paso del Norte (now Ciudad Juárez , Mexico), where they remained in exile for

304-571: Is marked by the beginning of the Novena masses, which start during the Knighting and Coronation of Don Diego de Vargas and La Reina de Santa Fe in which a procession which takes La Conquistadora from the Cathedral Basilica to the Rosario Chapel, at Rosario Cemetery in Santa Fe. From there 9 masses are held throughout the week and at the end of the week La Conquistadora is returned from Rosario Chapel to

342-694: Is taken back to the Basilica. This event includes participation by local tribes as well as Latino descendants that reside in the area. In the second decade of the 21st century, members of Native American tribes and pueblos protested the pageant, recalling the subsequent retaking of Santa Fe. The focus of these protests was The Entrada—a reenactment of de Vargas's re-entry into Santa Fe that has long been seen as inaccurate by historians and culturally offensive by Native Americans. The most recent round of protests against The Entrada started in 2015. That year, silent protestors raised placards citing historical facts at odds with

380-455: Is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe . The cathedral was built by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy between 1869 and 1886 on the site of an older adobe church, La Parroquia (built in 1714–1717). An older church on the same site, built in 1626, was destroyed in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt . The new cathedral was built around La Parroquia, which was dismantled once the new construction

418-583: The New Mexico History Museum . The statue was one of several removed as wider efforts to remove controversial statues across the United States . Like many wealthy citizens of the Spanish Empire at the time, de Vargas owned slaves . He manumitted his coachman Ignacio de la Cruz, but his wife Josefa de la Cruz (purchased in Mexico City in 1703 at age 20 for 300 reales de vellon ) was part of

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456-536: The Twelve Apostles in the lateral nave windows were imported from Clermont-Ferrand in France. The towers were originally planned to be topped with dramatic 160-foot (49 m) steeples , but due to lack of funds, these were never built. The north tower is a single row of bricks taller than the south tower. The cathedral was built from yellow limestone blocks quarried near the present site of Lamy . A 2005 addition to

494-576: The 3 days between Jesus' crucifixion and his resurrection. The rill symbolizes the four Evangelists, who cast their nets to catch men. Its location directly between the doors and the altar is representative of the faith journey. To the south is the Ambry Cabinet, containing the oils used in the sacraments. To the north is the Easter Candle stand. Surrounding the nave along the walls are the Stations of

532-432: The Cathedral Basilica that following weekend. Those masses are carried out and are made as a tribute to the promise that Don Diego de Vargas made to La Conquistadora, and is carried through until September which includes the burning of Zozobra , also known as "Old Man Gloom", a 50 ft/15.2m tall marionette that symbolizes the hardships and despair of the past year. This is followed by 3 days of celebration that includes

570-910: The Catholic Church using Hebrew symbols outside of Santa Fe that cast doubt on this story's credibility. The specific representation of the Tetragrammaton inside a triangle symbolizing the Trinity can be found in several Catholic churches in Europe, including Goya 's fresco Adoration of the Name of God in the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza . During the restoration of 1986, new doors were created, each with ten bronze panels that portray events in

608-626: The Cross . The original artwork was done in New Mexico Mission Style. The French archbishops gradually removed the art and painted the walls white. In 1997, the current archbishop began to have the interior restored as it was historically. The Stations are created in Santero style by Marie Romero Cash. Roberto Montoya, a Penitent , carved the Spanish-style frames. La Conquistadora Chapel occupies

646-524: The Cross of the Martyrs. Don Diego de Vargas Diego de Vargas Zapata y Luján Ponce de León y Contreras (1643–1704), commonly known as Don Diego de Vargas , was a Spanish Governor of the New Spain territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México (currently covering the modern US states of New Mexico and Arizona ). He was the title-holder in 1690–1695, and effective governor in 1692–1696 and 1703–1704. He

684-414: The Fiesta, a group of artists and writers decide to stage their own admission-free Fiesta called "El Pasatiempo" in 1926. "El Pasatiempo" featured a Hysterical Pageant, a parody of the Fiesta historical pageant, and the burning of Zozobra, both of which later became part of the Fiesta celebration. No celebrations were held in 1917–18 during that reinvisioning, and during World War II in 1942–45. The Fiesta

722-553: The Pueblo people to surrender, promising clemency if they would swear allegiance to the King of Spain (at the time, Charles II of Spain ) and return to the Christian faith. After meeting with de Vargas, the Pueblo leaders agreed to surrender, and on 12 September 1692 de Vargas proclaimed a formal act of repossession. De Vargas’ repossession of New Mexico is often called a bloodless reconquest, since

760-505: The Spanish fled the Pueblo Revolt and then returned in 1693 during the Reconquista , when it was given the name "La Conquistadora". Behind the statue is a carved and gilded wooden reredos with oil paintings depicting various saints. The reredos consists of two altar sections dating from the mid-1700s which were salvaged from the old Parroquia . The pieces, previously used as side altars in

798-547: The center is an 18th-century statue of St. Francis. He is surrounded by painted images of saints of the New World . Directly behind the sanctuary is the entrance to the crypt. The sanctuary was redesigned in 1986 in accordance with changes in the liturgical worship. The archbishop's chair is located to the north, next to a pillar. A fictionalized account of the cathedral's origins is included in Willa Cather 's Death Comes for

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836-624: The chapel were made in France and represent the Eucharist . Located in the east end of the nave is the sanctuary. Above the altar is the San Damiano Crucifix , a replica of the crucifix in Assisi , Italy . Tradition says that the Lord leaned down from the crucifix and said; "Francis, go and repair my house." The altar screen, a reredos, was created for the 100th anniversary of the cathedral in 1986. In

874-524: The exiled colonists in their reoccupation of Santa Fe by surrounding the city with cannons and threatening the Pueblo Indians residing inside with death. He re-entered the city on September 14, 1692; however the war for reoccupation of New Mexico raged on until 1694. Fiesta was revamped in 1912 by a group led by the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce and Edgar Lee Hewett . Hewett re-envisioned the Fiesta as

912-422: The history of the church in Santa Fe. Donna Quasthoff was the commissioned sculptor. The baptismal font is in the center of the nave. Made of Brazilian granite, it was dedicated on June 3, 2001, by Most Rev. Michael J. Sheehan. The eight-sided form represents the 8th day, or Easter, marking God's New Creation through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The basin is a cruciform, with three steps representative of

950-465: The main cathedral, were restored in 1957 and stacked one on top of the other to form a reredos for the chapel. The seven oil paintings also date from the 1700s. Four of them are attributed to Miguel Cabrera , one of the most important Mexican painters of the Baroque period, after a restoration of the paintings in 1976 uncovered Cabrera's signature. During a recent (2000–2009) restoration, an older painting

988-578: The main entrance contains a triangle with the Tetragrammaton in Hebrew carved in it. An "old story" printed in The Fabulous Frontier, 1846-1912 alleges that this was Fr. Lamy's way of thanking local Jewish merchants for their financial contributions towards the building of the cathedral. Although there is evidence that Jewish merchants in Santa Fe helped fund the building, there are other examples of

1026-496: The narrative annually given when the re-enactors reached Santa Fe's historic Plaza to portray the retaking of the city. Extensive press coverage was key to changing The Entrada aspect of the fiesta. In addition, many local screenings of the documentary film Veiled Lightning , including two screenings at Santa Fe's New Mexico History Museum. In 2018 the Entrada was dropped from Santa Fe's Fiesta celebration. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented

1064-435: The narrative present when the re-enactors reached Santa Fe's historic Plaza to portray the retaking of the city. Protests in 2017 resulted in 8 arrests; though the charges were later dismissed. Following the protests and months of negotiation the Entrada was removed from The Santa Fe Fiesta celebration. On June 18, 2020 the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico removed a statue of Diego de Vargas , later restoring it to display at

1102-465: The next 16 years. In 1688, Capitan General y Governador Don Diego de Vargas was appointed Spanish Governor of New Mexico, though he did not arrive to assume his duties until 22 February 1691. He was assigned with the task of reconquering and pacifying the New Mexico territory for Spain. In July 1692, de Vargas and a small contingent of soldiers returned to Santa Fe. They surrounded the city and called on

1140-408: The north transept of the cathedral and is the oldest part of the building, having been incorporated from the previous Parroquia . It was built around 1717, about the same time San Miguel Mission was being rebuilt, and shares similar features. The chapel houses La Conquistadora , a wooden Madonna which was brought to New Mexico by Alonso de Benavides in 1626. The statue was removed in 1680 when

1178-572: The patron saint of the diocese, was installed at the cathedral during the 1967 renovations. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656–1680) is the first North American Indian to be beatified , and was canonized in October 2012. She was an Algonquian-Mohawk woman of New York State who converted to Christianity at an early age. The statue was created by Estella Loretto , a sculptor from the nearby Jemez Pueblo , and installed in August 2003. A plaque noting Kateri's canonization

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1216-450: The property of de Vargas' estate conveyed to other owners after his death. This is known from contemporary legal documents later collected by William Gillet Ritch . Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi ( Spanish : Catedral basílica de San Francisco de Asís ), commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral , is a Catholic cathedral in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico . It

1254-484: The territory was initially retaken without any use of force. However, according to historian Enrique Lamadrid , once Spanish law was reestablished in the region by 1693, 70 participants in the revolt were executed on the Santa Fe Plaza . De Vargas had prayed to the Virgin Mary , under her title La Conquistadora (Our Lady of Conquering Love), for the peaceful re-entry. Believing that she heard his prayer, he celebrated

1292-603: The upper façade of the cathedral is a small, round window featuring a dove , the symbol of the Holy Spirit . It is a stained glass replica of the translucent alabaster window designed in the 17th century by the Italian artist Bernini for St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City . The Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi was officially elevated to a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI on October 4, 2005. This statue of St. Francis ,

1330-506: Was added in October 2012. A bronze statue by Jeno Juszko honors Father Lamy (1814–1888), who was installed as the first bishop of the Diocese of Santa Fe in 1850. Under his direction, the cornerstone of the current cathedral was laid in 1869. He became archbishop in 1875, when the diocese was raised to an archdiocese. He retired in July 1885 to his residence north of town, known as Bishop's Lodge. He

1368-655: Was again revamped following criticism of its portrayal of The Entrada. In 1977 the All Indian Pueblo Council and the state's Eight Northern Pueblos staged a boycott when a former Fiesta Council president sent a letter to the Pueblos requesting they not sell their wares during Fiesta. The Fiesta Council responded to these criticisms by emphasizing peaceful co-existence of the indigenous and Hispanic communities and their shared Catholic faith. From 2015 to 2017, silent protestors raised placards citing historical facts at odds with

1406-576: Was complete. A small chapel on the north side of the cathedral was kept from the old church. Influenced by the French-born Archbishop Lamy and in dramatic contrast to the surrounding adobe structures, Saint Francis Cathedral was designed in the Romanesque Revival style. As such, the cathedral features characteristic round arches separated by Corinthian columns and truncated square towers. The large rose window in front and those of

1444-588: Was found. On the left are the coffins of two early Franciscan priests. The chapel is listed as a "contributing property" of the Santa Fe Historic District . The chapel is reserved for prayer. The window wall along the south transept was added during the 1986 renovations. Etched into the glass are depictions of the Apostles and the Holy Family, by the artist Andrea Bacigalupa. The stained glass windows in

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