Mission San Diego de Alcalá and Junípero Serra

Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded in 1769 by Franciscan friar Junípero Serra and is the first of the Spanish missions established in Alta California. The mission complex at its present location includes a church whose current building dates to the early 19th century and stands as an active parish and historic site. The mission's founding marked the beginning of sustained Spanish colonial settlement in the San Diego region.