Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana

Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana, at 15151 San Fernando Mission Boulevard in Mission Hills in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California, was founded on September 8, 1797, by Father Fermin Lasuen and is the 17th of the 21 Spanish missions of Alta California. It was named for King Ferdinand III of Castile and was established to link the mission chain between San Gabriel and San Buenaventura. The mission thrived in the early 19th century, with farmland, vineyards, orchards and livestock tended by Indigenous people of the Tongva and Tataviam peoples, many of whom lived and labored there under the mission system. After Mexican secularization in the 1830s the mission buildings declined, and over time they were used for storage, as a hog farm and as a ranch headquarters. The grounds were returned to the Catholic Church in 1923, and restoration began in the 1930s. A major rebuild followed the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, which damaged the church, and the church was reconstructed in the 1970s. The most significant surviving structure is the Convento Building, completed in 1822, which is the largest original adobe building in California. It is two stories tall with a long arched corridor and has around 21 rooms and a large number of arches, and it served as living quarters for guests, travelers and missionaries. The Convento displays period furnishings, a restored kitchen, and the Spanish colonial-era wine cellar. The museum in the building includes mission artifacts, vestments, and historical items, and the restored church has a Spanish colonial altarpiece, or reredos, from Spain. The gardens include a courtyard fountain and the Mission cemetery, and a replica of the original mission grounds. The interpretation is largely self-guided and chronological, with signs and exhibits covering the mission period, the Indigenous history and the restoration. Visitors may also encounter special events such as an annual fiesta. The site remains an active Catholic place of worship, so modest dress and quiet behaviour are expected.