Local interpretations of classical models: The architecture of San Antonio mission churches, Texas

San Antonio Missions represent a unique syncretic architectural achievement. The study reveals that these 18th-century Franciscan mission churches, built by Indigenous peoples under Franciscan guidance, incorporated European Counter-Reformation models while adapting local materials and techniques. Analysis of three missions demonstrates recurring design elements linked to Italian innovations, alongside the use of nearby quarried stone dressed into decorative patterns. This fusion of imported cultural models with indigenous construction know-how underscores the missions' authenticity as hybrid structures.

Lombardi, A., & Benincampi, I. (2021). Local interpretations of classical models: The architecture of San Antonio mission churches, Texas. History of Construction Cultures, 49–56. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003173359-7