I visited all 5 Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda in January 2022 by rental car. By departing early from Queretaro, we managed to avoid most of the heavy buses, trucks and trailers which can slow you down quite a bit going uphill through the several hairpins winding through the Sierra Gorda. Before heading up to the Sierra Gorda, we stopped en route to visit the picture perfect former tWHS and pueblo magico of Bernal de la Peña.

I used the pueblo magico of Jalpan as my base for 2 nights to cover all 5 Franciscan missions which make up this WHS. Although they are all quite similar, I really enjoyed spotting their suttle differences and their natural surroundings. These types of serial location WHS (such as the Churches of the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus, the Wooden Churches of Southern Malapolska in Poland, the Tserkvas in Poland/Ukraine, the Wooden Churches in the Carpathians (Slovakia), the Val de Boi Churches and the Asturian Monuments in Spain, etc.) are among my favourite experiences while "hunting" for WHS and this one was no exception either.

The Spanish domination efforts in the region, the last to be conquered, included evangelization efforts, many of which failed before the mid 18th century. During the 16th and 17th century, there were attempts to evangelize the Sierra Gorda by the Augustinians, Franciscans and Dominicans but all initial missions were destroyed by the indigenous peoples. In 1740, the colonial government decided to exterminate indigenous resistance here to secure trade routes to Guanajuato and Zacatecas. This was accomplished by Jose de Escandon, whose expedition culminated in the Battle of Media Luna, defeating the Jonaz and Ximpeces. The military pacification of the area by Jose de Escandon in the 1740s allowed for the building of permanent missions in the heart of the Sierra Gorda. However, the five Franciscans missions accredited to Fray Junipero Serra were built in Pame territory, as these people were more accepting of Spanish domination. The Spanish decided to burn original Pame villages and resettle the population around missions for better control. Those who did not submit either committed suicide or went to live in the mountains. The placement of the missions had the purpose of dividing the heart of the Sierra Gorda and to open roads into San Luis Potosi.

Fray Junipero Serra spent eight years on the project of building the missions until 1770, when a number of historical events, including the expulsion of the Jesuits, forced the abandonment of the missions and Serra moved to California. From then until the late 20th century, the complexes suffered abandonment, deterioration and damage. This was especially true during the Mexican Revolution with many churches in the region sacked and a number of figures on the facades of these Franciscan missions "decapitated" during the fighting.

The main feature of these churches is the ornate decoration of the main portals, although there is decoration on the bell towers and in some churches, on other areas as well. This decoration is known as "Mestizo Baroque" or "Mestizo architecture" according to INAH. The ornate decoration is primarily aimed at teaching the new religion to the indigenous peoples in the open, a bit like the capellas abiertas of the Popocatepetl monastries, but unlike even the Baroque works further south, indigenous influence is obvious as Serra's idea was to demonstrate a blending of cultures rather than complete conquest. One element is the use of red, orange, and yellow, including pastel shades, and native sacred figures such as the rabbit and jaguar. The mission churches have a single nave, covered by a cannon vault, but each has its own peculiarities, especially in the portals.

Arriving in the afternoon, the mission's facade in Jalpan was not lit well so I decided to drive on the Ruta de los Misiones to Conca (35km away towards Arroyo Seco) which was in full glory in the afternoon sun. The San Miguel Conca Mission was the first one of the five inscribed missions to be constructed in 1750 (and finished in 1754 according to an inscription located inside the church) by Fray Junipero Serra for Jose Antonio Murguia so it also made sense chronologically to start with it. It is also the smallest one of the missions and the most austere but then it has the greatest amount of indigenous traits. The Crossed Arms of the Franciscan Order lies at the centre of the facade beneath a squarish diamond shaped window. Above the window lies a statue of Archangel Michael to whom this mission is dedicated. The decoration features large flowers, foliage and coarse figures in indigenous style. It is also distinguished by an image of the Holy Trinity at the crest along with a rabbit (a Pame symbol) and a double-headed eagle. The lower statues of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua are decapitated like most of the lower and hence easier-to-reach statues of these missions, while the higher ones are still intact. Like in most of the missions, there are false marble decorations both on the portal as well as inside the church. A highlight of the church's interior is its old baptismal font. The mission in Conca is surrounded in nature and close to several springs and waterfalls as well as a millenial tree. The UNESCO WHS plaque is oddly placed outside the mission's perimeter to one of its sides near a Camino Real pilgrims' bell.

Very early the next morning (and also the following morning before leaving from Jalpan), I visited the mission of Jalpan and afterwards headed to the small museum with cute models of each mission. Once again, the UNESCO WHS plaque is oddly placed outside the mission's perimeter to one of its sides near a statue of Fray Junipero Serra. This is the largest of all 5 missions and was the second to be built by Fray Junipero Serra. It is dedicated to Saint James the Apostle and has a lovely decorated octagonal belfry. It has similar features to the Conca Mission but a bigger central window and a conch-shaped entrance. It has intricate flower decorations everywhere and all the statues are intact except the top one of Saint James which in 1898 was substituted with a classic clock. The statue of the Virgen de Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint, and that of the Virgen del Pilar, Spain's patron saint, in their conch-shaped niche are worth looking out for. There's also a small central depiction of the five stigmata, another recurring image and symbol in other missions.

Next I drove on the main road towards Landa de Matamoros which is only around 22 km away. The Santa Maria del Agua de Landa Mission (morning light is best) is one of the most elaborate, full of many different details and colours, and is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The UNESCO WHS plaque is just in front of its yellow perimeter entrance as is the case also for the Missions of Tilaco and Tancoyol. It was the last of the missions to be built. The central window of the portal is octagonal with the recurring symbols of the 5 stigmata as well as that of the Franciscan Order on each side of the window. It has two particular figures of mermaids having indigenous features, as well as two beautiful medallions depicting Jesus Christ's flagellation and descent from the cross.

From Landa, we headed towards the Mission of San Francisco del Valle de Tilaco which is 26 km away, 16 km of which are in an uphill winding road apparently leading only to Tilaco (late afternoon is best for photography)! It must be said that together with Conca, the Mission of Tilaco has the best natural surroundings with excellent views of the green Sierra Gorda hills and mountains and is rich in avifauna. It also has the best decorated perimeter wall of all 5 missions, almost like that of a wat in Luang Prabang. It is the mission I enjoyed the most for the warm and fun experience offered by its caretaker. She was overjoyed to see foreigners come so far "only" to admire the Mission and invited me to visit the sacristy with a double-headed eagle painted on its ceiling and climb up the belfry for a closer view of the tower's statues and a lovely panoramic view of the mission perimeter and its natural surroundings. The crumbling precarious steps leading up to the church bells were full of bat and pigeon droppings but it was definitely worth the effort and risk. Meanwhile the caretaker started to hang the Father's ceremonial clothes to dry and as I approached the room where she was doing the washing to thank her, I noticed the facsimile of the UNESCO WHS inscription certificate, which I also found later on at the sacristy of the Tanyacol Mission. The Tilaco Mission is dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi and has a number of different features from the other missions. First of all, it is built on a gradient. The bell tower is separated from the main nave of the church by the baptistery and structurally functions as a buttress for the church. Tilaco is probably the best preserved of the five missions and has the most subtle ornamentation on its facade and its interior (it has a few remnants of mural paintings inside). Its facade is composed of three horizontal and three vertical partitions, with the Franciscan coat of arms and a "caged" diamond central window above it which are prominent over the main entrance. One distinctive decorative element are the ears of corn and four mermaids with indigenous features. Tilaco has the best conserved atrium corner chapels called "capillas posas", which were used for processions. It also has a quaint courtyard, bigger than the one in Jalpan but smaller than the one in Tancoyol.

Last but not least, I drove another 50 km or so to the Mission of Nuestra Señora de la Luz in Tancoyol (best light for photography is in the afternoon). It probably has the most over-the-top decorations and representative iconography of the Mestizo Baroque. Apart from the recurring Franciscan Order coat of arms and the 5 stigmata, it also has images of the Jerusalem Cross and that of the Dominicans' Calatrava Cross representing redemption. It also has a large sculpted cross on top venerated by two angels and peculiar flowery decorations, two of which are made up of indian headdress plumes. The whole facade is full of ornamental vegetation and ears of corn. Indigenous elements are also found in the church's interior, with an image of a jaguar and a person with Olmec features. There is a neat baptismal font inside the base of the belfry and this mission has also the most elaborate cupola interior. Of the 5 missions, Tancoyol is also the most laid back, with the majority of its residents still using their horses as their main means of transport or their tractors.

Photos: Conca Mission facade (top left), Tancoyol Mission facade (top center), Sierra Gorda scenery (top right), Landa Mission facade (bottom left), View from Tilaco Mission belfry (bottom center), and Jalpan Mission facade (bottom right).