Morning Photo Tour - The Churches

Very old, Catholic mission churches dot the countryside of Northern New Mexico, with their small villages nearby.  I loved their simple shapes, adobe buttresses, bell towers and courtyards, the essence of humility; and the many hand-carved crucifixes and santero art inside the churches, a testament to the devout faith of the people.

The first church we visited was Nuestra Señora de San Juan de Los Lagos in Talpa, which was built in 1823. 

Although it was not open for visitors, a stroll about the grounds gave me several nice shots. Here is an interesting door into a courtyard. This is probably not a place I would have found on my own, so I thank Geraint for turning me loose here!

Next we stopped at San José de Gracia de Las Trampas, one of three surviving 18th century churches in New Mexico. In 1761, the villagers of Las Trampas started building their own church, with 4 foot thick walls, with their own money and labor.  It was finished in 1776.

Nuestra Señora del Rosario Church in Truchas dates back to the 1760s also.