SAN ANTONIO DE VALERO
San Antonio de Valero, one of five
Spanish missions established by
Franciscans in what is now San
Antonio, is most commonly known
as the site of the battle of the
Alamo (1836). The earliest
buildings were of temporary
construction and have not survived,
but by 1727 work had begun on a
stone convento, or priest's
residence. The two-story, arcaded
convento served as the friars' main
building; it housed offices, kitchens,
dining rooms, sleeping quarters,
and guest rooms. Because the
Spanish government failed to
complete or adequately garrison
the local presidio, the mission had
frequently to provide for its own
defense. Protective walls were
erected, apparently after the
massacre at Santa Cruz de San
Sabá Mission in 1758; these walls,
eight feet high by two feet thick,
enclosed a main plaza located
west of the convento and guarded
by small artillery and a fortified
gate.