Alamo, San Antonio Missions Nominated for World Heritage Site

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**Frazzled**

The other missions are well developed and refurbished. I'll never figure out why they didn't go to one of these and instead went to the Alamo.

http://news.yahoo.com/alamo-san-antonio-missions-nominated-world-heritage-185410676.html

......Alamo, San Antonio Missions Nominated for World Heritage Site
By OurAmazingPlanet Staff | LiveScience.com – 1 hr 1 min ago.........Related Content.
...The Alamo was the site of an 1836 …
....The storied San Antonio missions, including the Alamo, were built as the Spanish Empire expanded its dominion northward and later served as focal points in the war for Texas' independence. They now have been nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of this rich history.

World Heritage listing is a prestigious designation that acknowledges the historical, cultural or natural value of a site and signals the U.S. commitment to its long-term protection and management.

The San Antonio Franciscan Missions were nominated for the designation Friday (June 1) at the Mission Concepción, a handsome stone church that looks much as it did when it was built in 1731. The structure is, in fact, the oldest unrestored church in America. While its exterior paintings have faded, its interior wall and ceiling paintings have been conserved.

The nomination entails the Alamo, whose defenders, including Davy Crockett, were killed by Mexican forces in 1836, and four missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.

"World Heritage Sites represent an incredible opportunity for the United States to market our most significant places as destinations for domestic and international travelers," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in announcing the nomination. These missions embody the cultural roots of the city and represent the single largest concentration of Spanish Colonial resources in the U.S., he said. The nomination won't be considered by the World Heritage Committee until 2015.

There are 21 World Heritage Sites in the United States, ranging from historic sites such as Independence Hall in Philadelphia to spectacular natural parks such as the Grand Canyon.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park attracts more than 1.6 million visitors a year and supports nearly $100 million in economic activity annually, according to a U.S. Geological Survey statement.

•All Yours: 10 Least Visited National Parks
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•Image Gallery: One-of-a-Kind Places on Earth
Copyright 2012 OurAmazingPlanet, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

**Makarov**

While I do think the Alamo is important to American/Texas/Mexican history, world history? Ehh, I could think of some more important sites in the US.

**Frazzled**

Makarov wrote:While I do think the Alamo is important to American/Texas/Mexican history, world history? Ehh, I could think of some more important sites in the US.

You would be wrong.

Alamo is the birthplace of Texas. Since Texas permitted the other states to offically join with it in 1845, its therefor the holiest of holies for all 50 states. Well the Alamo and Alamo Drafthouse of course.

**Lone Cat**

In the days Texas belonged to Spanish Crown. What is an original purpose of Alamo? Is it Catholic mission/monastery/gathering grounds?

**Great White**

In the 4 years I lived in San Antonio, everyone that visited wanted to see the Alamo and the accompanying riverwalk. Frankly, I never saw the appeal to them.

**d-usa**

Great White wrote:In the 4 years I lived in San Antonio, everyone that visited wanted to see the Alamo and the accompanying riverwalk. Frankly, I never saw the appeal to them.

I liked the river walk, nice little touristy area with the world fair park and the little artsy shopping district close by.

The alamo was soso, we visited just because we were staying in a hotel on the riverwalk so it was close but we would not have made a special trip downtown just to see it.

The locals did give me a dirty look when I asked them if they knew where the spot was that Ozzy peed on.

**AustonT**

Lone Cat wrote:In the days Texas belonged to Spanish Crown. What is an original purpose of Alamo? Is it Catholic mission/monastery/gathering grounds?

Here Let me google that for you.

**Great White**

River walk is cool, once. After that, it is just a crowded mess on a green river. On Friday it is really bad because the basic trainees graduate and they all go down town to party.

**d-usa**

Great White wrote:River walk is cool, once. After that, it is just a crowded mess on a green river. On Friday it is really bad because the basic trainees graduate and they all go down town to party.

I think we were there from Sunday night to Wednesday night, so not really crowded. It was during September as well, so nothing crazy happening during these times which helped with the crowds.

**sebster**

I'm kind of surprised the Alamo isn't already a world heritage site.

I'm also a little surprised that people were kind of underwhelmed with the Alamo. I didn't get there when I was in the US, but from the other sites and tours I went on (Gettysburg, Yosemite, WTC, Alcatraz and so on) my general experience was that Americans did them extremely well.

**Frazzled**

Lone Cat wrote:In the days Texas belonged to Spanish Crown. What is an original purpose of Alamo? Is it Catholic mission/monastery/gathering grounds?

Catholic missions. They were effectively in the middle of the wildnerness when founded and were a refuge by the locals (including indigenous) against predatory tribes like the Comanches.

Big walls. very cool.

**Jefffar**

The Alamo didn't impress me all that much when I visited. Sculpted gardens, new buildings on the site pretending to be part of the original and a narrative that didn't acknowledge the humanity of the defenders left me feeling that the place wasn't intended to serve as an accurate portrayal of what was but instead was consumed by it's own mythology.

Then again you must realize that I was trained to evaluate the presentation of history and heritage to the public, so I may be overly critical.

**Frazzled**

Jefffar wrote:The Alamo didn't impress me all that much when I visited. Sculpted gardens, new buildings on the site pretending to be part of the original and a narrative that didn't acknowledge the humanity of the defenders left me feeling that the place wasn't intended to serve as an accurate portrayal of what was but instead was consumed by it's own mythology.

Duh. Back in my days of youth it was a pilgrimage to go to, just like the San Jacinto battlefield. It has the same feel to me as the battlefields I visited in Tennessee, especially the Bloody Pond at Shiloh.

Alamo itself, only one major building is left.

Again, if you want a much better flavor of the missions, go to one of the four missions themselves. The last time I went, the flowers were in bloom at one and it was like a shower of color all around the main building.

**Lone Cat**

Frazzled wrote:
Lone Cat wrote:In the days Texas belonged to Spanish Crown. What is an original purpose of Alamo? Is it Catholic mission/monastery/gathering grounds?

Catholic missions. They were effectively in the middle of the wildnerness when founded and were a refuge by the locals (including indigenous) against predatory tribes like the Comanches.

Big walls. very cool.

Effectively. the Alamo is Medieval style 'fortified' monastery from birth. correct?

i've seen the movie starring D. Quaid, and it looks like the Alamo itself seems to witstood a hail of Mexican artillery battery fire.

**Frazzled**

Thats probably a good way of thinking about it. They usually comprise the central church and then a wall with outbuildings attached to the wall. Almost like a small fortified village or castle.

At least one mission had positions on the corners for artillery and had Spanish (later Mexican) troops stationed there to fight off Comanche raiders. The Alamo had simmlar positions but was in a state of bad disrepair, as well as having gone through the action where the Texians forced the surrender of the Mexican garrison there. I don't think it was even an active mission at the time.

**purplefood**

Never really knew what the Alamo was... or what the fuss was about remembering it...

**Bongo_clive**

sebster wrote:I'm kind of surprised the Alamo isn't already a world heritage site.

I'm also a little surprised that people were kind of underwhelmed with the Alamo. I didn't get there when I was in the US, but from the other sites and tours I went on (Gettysburg, Yosemite, WTC, Alcatraz and so on) my general experience was that Americans did them extremely well.

Meh, you haven't been to the WW2 cemetery in Normandy. I was expecting a deeply moving, calm and sober experience, but that is not what it was like at all. Very sad

**Frazzled**

Didn't you know? Thats where a ragtag bunch of Texans defeated the Nazis in the First Nazi Space War?

Davey Crockett was actually an alien from another world.

"You can go to Hell. I shall go to Texas."
-David Crockett
(actual translation: "Hurray! The Space Nazis are coming! We have a secret base in the location you call San Antonio!)

It also explains the curious creature known as a jackalope. they're rare around these parts now, but when I was young, there were herds of little antlered critters roaming in the fields.

OT but I just found out Rommel's favorite pet was a wiener dog! Hah The Great Wiener - training humans for Dachshundskrieg since 1938!

**purplefood**

Frazzled wrote:Didn't you know? Thats where a ragtag bunch of Texans defeated the Nazis in the First Nazi Space War?

Davey Crockett was actually an alien from another world.

"You can go to Hell. I shall go to Texas."
-David Crockett
(actual translation: "Hurray! The Space Nazis are coming! We have a secret base in the location you call San Antonio!)

It also explains the curious creature known as a jackalope. they're rare around these parts now, but when I was young, there were herds of little antlered critters roaming in the fields.

OT but I just found out Rommel's favorite pet was a wiener dog! Hah The Great Wiener - training humans for Dachshundskrieg since 1938!

I'm relatively sure that's all rubbish...

**Frazzled**

You're right. Davey Crockett wasn't an alien. Everything else is true though, especially about Rommel's wiener dog and the jackalopes.

**purplefood**

Still relatively sure it's not true...

**Frazzled**

purplefood wrote:Still relatively sure it's not true...

I'm shocked, just shocked!

**d-usa**

Frazzled wrote:
purplefood wrote:Still relatively sure it's not true...

I'm shocked, just shocked!

A Texan being accused of being full of crap? How can you be shocked by that?