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Photo courtesy of Steve Collins
Cathedral Park
10Best Says
Cathedral Park, located just to the north of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis de Assisi, is a quiet pocket park offering people benches to sit and rest while touring Santa Fe. Dedicated to the... Read More
Cathedral Park, located just to the north of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis de Assisi, is a quiet pocket park offering people benches to sit and rest while touring Santa Fe. Dedicated to the first settlers of Santa Fe, there are informational plaques set around the park giving the history of the city. There's a statue of Don Diego de Vargas, the man who led the Spanish upon their 1692 return to Santa Fe after fleeing during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The large statue at the park's center commemorates Santa Fe's Spanish Colonial history. Among the figures depicted are a Conquistador, a Franciscan monk and a family of Spanish settlers. They rest atop fruits, vegetables, tools and musical instruments symbolic of what the settlers brought when they arrived as well as the animals that supported life in an austere environment.
EXPERT TIPS BY:
Billie Frank
Santa Fe Local Expert
- Parks: "Visit the adjacent St. Francis Cathedral. As you enter, look up at the triangle at the top of the arch – there's a Hebrew symbol. Local lore has it that that when Archbishop Lamy needed funds to complete the church the city's prosperous Jewish merchants contributed. This was their reward."
- Best for Parks Because: Cathedral Park, adjacent to the historic St. Francis Cathedral is a great resting spot when touring the historic downtown area.
