Missions of California - Santa Clara de Asís

Founded by Father Junipero Serra on January 12, 1777, Mission Santa Clara de Asís was named for St. Claire of Assisi, founder of the holy order for nuns. It was the 8th mission to be established.

The Santa Clara Valley was a fertile spot, and the mission soon harvested an abundance of fruits and grain and many head of livestock roamed its lands. Drawn by the abundant crops, the Indian population of 2228 was the largest of any mission.

After secularization the mission lay neglected. In 1851 the only university in the state affiliated with a mission, Santa Clara University, was established in the remains of the church and its compound. Today Santa Clara is a mix of new and restored buildings serving as a church for the university and surrounding community. As a promise to King Charles IV of Spain, the bells are rung every evening in memory of those who have died. Many of the original plants still survive, including olive trees, a Castilian rosebush, "fan" palms and the oldest grapevine in Northern California.