High Road to Taos

The High Road to Taos is a 56-mile road that connects Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. Considered a "scenic byway," the road passes through some classic New Mexico landscapes — high desert, mountains, pine forests, small farms and villages, many of which have historic colonial churches. Santa Fe (Spanish for "Holy Faith") sits at the endpoint an ancient trading route created by the Spanish that linked to México City, and by extension to Spain. The Spanish established settlements and missions along the route during the 16th century, mixing, clashing and making up with the indigenous peoples along the way.

The churches along this route were constructed of thick, adobe mud brick with a flat, wood beam ceilings. The architectural design evolved into a cross-shaped plan, like the cathedrals of Mexico and Spain, with one or more bell towers. Religious art was an important part of the Spanish missionaries' efforts to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism. Artwork from Spain was in limited supply, so the missionaries took to carving Baroque-style saints and other religious figures out of wood. Over time, these carvings (santos) were influenced by indigenous designs and materials, resulting in a hybrid folk-art style that continues to this day, especially around Santa Fe. The area's Catholic churches feature altar screens (reredos or retablos) that display this distinct artistic style and sometimes incorporate oil paintings from Mexico and Spain.

Santa Fe

San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe is the best example of the early blending of religious art in New Mexico. The small adobe chapel is the oldest extant church in the United States, built around 1610 by Tlaxcala Indians from Mexico under the direction of Franciscan friars. The church is dedicated to San Miguel Arcángel, who is worshiped as an angelic warrior leading the forces of God in their triumph over Satan. The chapel's reredo is the oldest in New Mexico and holds a small, gold-painted santo of Saint Michael and six oil paintings from Mexico.

Connecting Santa Fe to the spiritual and cultural heritage of Mexico is the Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the oldest extant shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe in the United States. According to legend, in 1531 on a hilltop outside of Mexico City, an indigenous peasant named Juan Diego had a vision of the Virgin Mary and her image was miraculously imprinted on the inside of his cloak. Today this image (or the first painting of this image) is encased at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City and the faithful believe it has miraculous and supernatural powers. The iconography of her image is primarily Catholic, with a second level of symbols associated with the indigenous Aztec mother-goddess Tonantzin, which probably aided her acceptance among the native peoples of Mexico. Catholic Popes have called her the "Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas" and the "Mother of the Americas."

Chimayó

Located thirty miles northeast of Santa Fe on a site once sacred to the Native Americans, El Santuario de Chimayó is the foremost Catholic pilgrimage shrine in North America. Famous for its "holy dirt" believed to have curative powers, the site receives about 300,000 visitors a year. Several legends are associated with the origins of El Santuario, but all agree the shrine was established around 1810 by Don Bernardo Abeyta, a local resident and member of Los Penitentes. In the most popular legend, Abeyta was performing penances on the night of Good Friday and saw a light springing from the ground near the Santa Cruz River. He went to the spot, started to dig and uncovered a large crucifix of Nuestro Señor de Esquípulas (Our Lord of Esquípulas), a dark-complected image of Christ crucified on a "living cross" that resembles a tree with branches and leaves painted green. (This "regenerative" image of Christ first originated at a shrine in Esquípulas, Guatemala, also famous for its curative "holy dirt.") At the behest of a local priest, the crucifix was carried to the church at Santa Cruz eight miles away, only to be discovered the next morning miraculously back at its original location in Chimayó. After this happened several times, it was understood that Our Lord of Esquípulas wanted to stay where he was found and a small shrine was built. Soon afterwards miracle healings became associated with the soil where the crucifix was found, and people began coming to el pocito ("the little well") to rub its "holy dirt" onto their bodies to ease all sorts of ailments.

As word of the shrine spread, Bernardo Abeyta was granted permission to build a larger church on the site. It was completed in 1816 and today is considered one of the most beautiful adobe buildings of the American Southwest. Abeyta commissioned renowned santeros (religious artists) José Rafael Aragón and Molleno to create sacred art for the new chapel. The main reredo (altar screen) frames an effigy of Our Lord of Esquípulas and is painted in Molleno's wavy "chili pepper" style. The adjacent rooms house el pocito and countless tokens and testaments to its "miraculous" powers — abandoned crutches, votive offerings, photographs and handwritten messages.

In 1856, a new chapel dedicated to Santo Niño de Atocha (The Holy Child of Atocha) was built next to El Santuario de Chimayó. According to legend, Santo Niño de Atocha is a miraculous child who lived in Spain during the 13th century. He travels about at night working miracles, especially for children and travelers. Regarded as the Infant Christ, he's depicted as a boy pilgrim dressed in a wide-brimmed hat and a cloak decorated with the scallop shell of Saint James, a symbol of pilgrims to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. In one hand he holds a basket of bread or flowers, and in the other a pilgrim's staff with a water gourd. In performing his nightly miracles he wears out his shoes, so baby shoes are offered to him by the faithful.

Today these two shrines at Chimayó are equally venerated. Even to non-Catholics, the sanctity of the shrines is gripping. During Holy Week some 30,000 people make the pilgrimage to Chimayó, and the tiny village, famous for its woven blankets, hot chilies and lowrider culture, transforms into a place of prayer and inspiration. "This site is a vortex of healing power and energy," shared Trini Baca, who credits the powers of the shrine for saving his life three times. According to a legend of the Tewa Indians who lived in the area for hundreds of years before the Spanish arrived, Chimayó valley was once volcanic and full of hot springs. Over time, the valley cooled and the springs vanished, leaving behind pools of mud with curative powers, which they considered sacred and part of the larger mythology of the landscape. It's very likely that the Tewa people were using the mud at Chimayó for therapeutic purposes when the Spanish settlers arrived. Regardless of its past, today Chimayó is a source of hope and spiritual rejuvenation for people of all faiths.

Las Trampas

About half-way between Santa Fe and Taos is the small village of Las Trampas, known for the San José de Gracia Church. Built between 1760 and 1776, this church is regarded as one of the finest examples of Spanish mission architecture in New Mexico. Unlike most of the other churches in the region, the original design of this church has not been altered. It even has the original plywood floors, under which 65 people are buried, and its cheilings are decorated with 18th and 19th century designs believed to be the insignias of the village's twelve founding families. The interior is decorated with original artworks of 18th and 19th century santeros, although not attributed to any specific artist, and the light inside is natural and bright.

Rosemary Vigil, whose family has caretaken the church for generations, shared, "The feeling when you walk into this church is just a spiritual, peaceful feeling that is unexplainable. For me, everytime I walk in there I feel surrounded by a calmness and a feeling that makes me feel blessed to have the richness of our ancestors here."

Next: The Great Stupa at Sanchi