A Historical View of the San Antonio Missions
History:
The "Rose Window," another famous piece of sculpture, is located in the south wall of the sacristy, a room adjoining the church on the south side.

This window is very unique, not only architecturally, but also functionally. It is not a true rose window, which would be round. Instead, the window at San José takes the shape of a long rectangle with a scallop on each of the four sides. The carved ornamentation around the frame represents pomegranates, not roses, to symbolize spreading the seeds of the religious faith.

About this Image:
1) The ruins of the church and convento at Mission San José, seen from the south side. A wagon with two people passes in front of the Rose Window.

2) A close–up of the Rose Window with a Franciscan friar standing beside it.

3) A more recent image of the Rose Window shows the detailed stone carving surrounding it. Photo taken by Gordon Shults.

To Learn More:
Credit:
Courtesy of the San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation.
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3) 20003) 2000