Mission San José (the 'Queen of the Missions')

Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo is the largest and most ornate of the San Antonio missions, with its principal stone church and convent built largely during the mid- to late-18th century. The mission is celebrated for its carved stone Rose Window and richly detailed façade and portal, which exemplify Spanish Colonial stonework in the region. It is a centerpiece of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and retains extensive archaeological and architectural evidence of colonial mission life. The mission complex and its irrigation acequia system are important examples of historic mission-era landscape engineering.