California Missions – San Antonio de Padua
Founded: July 14, 1771 – Third of the California Missions
Special Designation: Mission of the Sierras
Named For: Saint Anthony of Padua, a thirteenth century Franciscan, the finder of lost possessions
Mission Site: Located in the Santa Lucia Mountains in an oak studded valley southeast of Monterey, on a what is presently a military reservation. The setting of this mission is much as a traveler would have seen two centuries ago.
Layout: Traditional quadrangle, largely restored by W.R. Hearst and the Franciscans between 1948 and 1952.
Special Attraction: The extensive restoration and unspoiled setting of San Antonio de Padua makes this one of the most picturesque missions in California. It has an extensive museum with a number of exhibits displaying various aspects of daily life at the mission. The site also boasts the most complete, and largely unrestored, Mission-era water control system in California.
Current Status: A retreat center.
