# @downinnadesert on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DZsj8euG502
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66906648-downinnadesert-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/124358d44b.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-17T18:00:01.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Down In The Desert🌵 (@downinnadesert) — https://gondola.cc/downinnadesert

## Caption

Mission San Xavier del Bac has been standing near Tucson since before Arizona was even a state.

The mission was originally founded in 1692 by Jesuit missionary Eusebio Kino, with the church building we see today completed in the late 1700s.

Often called the “White Dove of the Desert,” it’s considered one of the best-preserved Spanish colonial missions in North America.

Inside, the mission still holds historic frescoes, hand-carved statues, altars, and original artwork that have survived centuries of Arizona heat, territorial changes, and generations of visitors.

And even after more than 300 years of history, it’s still an active Catholic church today.

Have you ever visited Mission San Xavier del Bac?

Follow downinnadesert for more Arizona history and hidden local stories.

Via Mission San Xavier / Arizona Historical Society

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#TucsonAZ #ArizonaHistory #MissionSanXavier #Arizona #DownInnaDesert

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- **Comments:** 4

## Tags

missionsanxavier, downinnadesert, arizonahistory, arizona, tucsonaz

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