spanish church

We made special trip to Zuni yesterday because we had been there a number of times starting about 25 years ago and were fortunate to be abel to watch the mural painter who had dedicated his life to painting the murals on the side walls of this church. When we tried to go last year, we learned that one must have a reservation for a tour to visit the church and all tours the day we were there were sold out. Yesterday we made reservations for a tour today at !0:00 and Gloria was our wonderful guide. We spent more than an hour in the church while Gloria told us basic information and was kind enough to answer questions from the 4 of us on our tour. It was cold today and we were all REALLY cold by the time we left the church and could sit in the sun for a bit. There is a lot of history and culture in the church that has trouble remaining sound. There are water problems especially on the north wall where the plaster on which the mural is painted is falling off the wall.One must be respectful of the Zuni spiritualism and customs; it is their way of life and they wish to maintain it in their own way. No photos are allowed unless you purchase a camera tag and even then I don't believe that you are allowed to photograph the murals - be sure to ask.

We went off the main road quite a ways to see the old Spanish church. I would not recommend taking your time nor your money. The rather unfriendly guides present a dismissive overview of the church. It is obviously not kept up and the disrepair is a commentary of their view of the oppression from those years. The inside is painted with Zuni religious paintings, but the guides are not allowed to talk about them. There is little historical information available, and little talk of everyday life or the benefits of this tiny town. The jewelry shops are good nearby

The Zuni Pueblo has a glossy brochure that you can pick up at other destinations in New Mexico, and a website, both of which suggest that you will be welcome, and that you can take an interesting and informative tour. I took the $10 tour of the church (operated from the Visitor Center) in early July 2014, and discovered that it's much more complicated than the advertising suggests. The impression that I got from my experience is that the Zunis are conflicted about how much they want outside visitors. Their marketing materials suggest that they do want tourists. However, as I learned from the tour guide, there are many Zunis who want to keep their culture (including their pueblo) quite private. The tour of the church was advertised as being 45 minutes. For the first 30 minutes, the guide answered many questions posed by members of my tour group - but offered almost no prepared material. At the end of the tour I actually had to ask when the church was built, as that was never mentioned. After the other group members' questions were done - to repeat, that was about 30 minutes into the 45 minute tour - the guide started doing things with her cell phone - an indication, I suppose, that the tour was over? The first 30 minutes were inside the church. After that, we were offered the opportunity to walk around the outside of the church, but the stares from the local residents gathered nearby, watching us, made me feel uncomfortable. I don't mind it that a people, such as the Zunis, would prefer that outsiders stay away. That's perfectly OK, and their right. But if that's the case, they shouldn't advertise tours and charge money for them. If a tour is to be offered, it should be genuinely enthusiastic, not half-hearted like this one, making the visitors just feel embarrassed. I would add that after the tour I went to the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center, which was quite a contrast. The staff there were * very welcoming * and I found the exhibits quite informative - I learned a lot and gained a greater appreciation for the Zuni there. My suggestion: if you go at all (and only go if it's on your way), head for the Museum, and don't bother with the paid tour.Also: I found the folks at Paywa's Zuni Bread to be very hospitable - I even got a personal tour of the oven area, roaring wood fire and all, with a full explanation of how the bread was made. Do pay a visit to them (check in advance which days they are open!).On the other hand - do be aware that there are those in the community who are not eager to see tourists, so act accordingly. Don't even think of taking photographs.

The first time we went to tour this mission, it was closed for the burial of the artist. We returned over 2 weeks later, and it had not yet been opened for tours, but the lady at the visitors' center allowed us to tour it. What a relief that was! The murals are magnificent and you should not miss a chance to see them. The pueblo apparently does not value them as it should though, as there are already two good-sized areas where the stucco has fallen off from the murals and no plans to fix them. Not even when he was alive and could do it himself. I don't understand that. No pictures are allowed. I just hope someone somewhere made good prints of them, or they will be gone entirely some day.

We were privileged to have the artist of the Kachina figures in the church be our inside guide. Life sized figures of Kachina dancers dominate the walls. The building is no longer used for Catholic services, but Catholic art and symbolism share space with the Zuni traditions. If you are able, have Ken Seowtewa be your host as he explains in detail what each figure represents. He will also give a history of art that began with his father.The exterior of the building is a photographer's delight because it is so traditional. Pictures are permitted of church and cemetery (I mention cemetery because Acoma's Sky City does not permit photos of its cemetery). The building in Zuni is not in good repair and the cemetery is weed filled. Unfortunately interior pictures within the church are not permitted. A photo permit for Zuni is required but is only $5.

My family and I visited the Zuni reservation for the purpose of visiting this church in order to view the wall paintings. We took a tour of the church along with a tour of pueblo. The artwork found inside this old church is simply beautiful! I would have loved to take photos, but it isn't allowed. So, I have to settle with just my memories. I will say that the Zuni are known for their Ketchina dolls (which are breathtaking) and the paintings are different Ketchinas representing religious figures. Our tour guide, however, was very hush-hush about any details of each of them.I would certainly recommend taking a tour of the church if you're in the area. Also, purchase a ketchina doll or some of their other art. It really is incredible! I wish I had purchased more.

Authenticty. Although not allowed in as tours were cancelled due to summer solstice religious observance, was able to see the exteriour and cemetery ground in front. Dates from the Spanish conquest. Apparently well maintained.

The Visitor's center has great tours, including the Zuni artwork and history of the the Spanish church. Some tours need to be scheduled a few days ahead.

My husband and I went to Zuni and we got to go into the church. We even met Alex the Artist of the church. He gave us a tour and we sat and listened to him tell us the history of the zuni church , built in 1330 . He is painting the zuni version of the stages of the cross. It was beautiful and very interesting. We had our picture taken with Alex outside of the church of course and when I find it I will add it to this review

When we visited Zuni we were not able to see inside the church but the exterior shows some typical Spanish styling for this area. In front of the church is the cemetery, typical layout in this area.You need to stop at the tribal office, on the main road coming into town, to get a pass to visit the village and if you want to take photos you will pay a fee.This village is famous around the world for their silver and turquoise work, small long stones set in silver.

Chiusa e con un cartello che vieta foto anche dall'esterno; la sensazione è che i turisti non siano molto graditi. E' un peccato perché avrei avuto proprio piacere di visitarla anche all'interno mentre mi sono dovuto accontentare della facciata esterna e del piccolo cimitero situato tra il cancello chiuso e l'ingresso alla Missione. Il tutto abbastanza decadente e trasandato; meriterebbe di più!

Zuñi Pueblo ist ein Reiseziel, dem man sich behutsam und vor allem respektvoll nähen muss. Das Reservat liegt etwas abseits der Touristenrouten und ist auch nicht für den Massentourismus vorbereitet. Wichtig ist, dass man sich vor einem Besuch informiert, Reiseführer liest und im Internet nachforscht. In diesem Fall hat man schon einen guten Zugang zur Kultur, Geschichte und Religion der Zuñis.Beherrschendes Gebäude des Pueblos ist die alte "Zuñi Mission" - erbaut im Adobe-Stil um ca. 1630 von spanischen Franziskaner-Mönchen, jedoch mit dem Fachwissen und der Arbeitskraft der Zuñis. Ursprünglich war die Kirche von einem Kloster umgeben, das jedoch um 1820 im Zuge der Unabhängigkeit Mexikos von Spanien aufgelassen wurde.Bei der Restaurierung der Kirche in den 1960-Jahren wurden zwar die alten Fundamente ausgegraben, jedoch nur die Hauptkirche renoviert. Bis Mitte der 1980-er Jahre wurden in der Kirche regelmäßig Gottesdienste abgehalten. Seit 2004 wird die Mission als kulturelles und historisches Gebäude von den Zuñis selbst verwaltet.In der Zwischenzeit ist die Mission erneut restaurierungsbedürftig und das Geld, das bei den Touren zur Kirche eingenommen wird, kommt diesem Zweck zugute. Für diesen Rundgang, sie kostet 10,-- p.P., muss man sich im Visitor Center anmelden und ein Guide begleitet die Gruppe. Man braucht eine Fotoerlaubnis für das Dorf, in der Kirche selbst darf man nicht fotografieren.Besonders sehenswert sind die vom Zuñi-Künstler Alex Seowtewa gemalten Kachina-Figuren an den Wänden - sie wirken dreidimensional und erstaunlich lebendig.

Man kann leicht enttäuscht sein, wenn man nach Zuni kommt. Es ist nicht viel los dort. Und wenn man ins Dorfzentrum will, muss man sich einer Tour anschließen. Auch das ist nicht wirklich atemberaubend. Die Dorfgeschichte kann man nachlesen (und erfährt dann mehr, als wenn man einen nicht wirklich interessierten Tourguide hat) und vom alten Kern, den man auf Fotos noch sieht, ist sowieso nichts mehr vorhanden ("Only dust!", wie unser Tourguide sagte). Was man aber auf gar keinen Fall verpassen sollte, ist der Besuch des Inneren der alten Missionskirche. Da bleibt einem der Mund offen stehen, wenn man die Kachinas sieht, die der Zuni-Künstler Alex Seowtewa an die Kirchenwände gemalt hat. Ich kenne mich nicht wirklich aus - aber mir kamen die Figuren dreidimensional und unglaublich lebendig vor. So etwas habe ich bisher erst ein einziges Mal gesehen: an Tiepolo-Fresken. Also, wer nach Zuni Pueblo kommt, sollte sich unbedingt die Zeit nehmen, sich gleich zu Beginn des Besuchs für eine Tour in die alte Missionskirche im Visitor Center anmelden. Danach kann man auf eigene Faust auf Erkundung gehen. Es gibt viele Gallerien und Schmuckgeschäfte. Dasjenige, das uns am authentischsten vorkam und von dem wir den Eindruck hatten, dass man "the real thing" bekommt, war die Zuni Craftsmen Cooperative. Ach ja - nicht vergessen: man braucht ein Foto-Permit, damit man im Dorf fotografieren darf. In der Kirche aber herrscht überall Fotoverbot!