The San Antonio Missions in San Antonio, TX -- including The Alamo (pictured) -- have officially been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the UNESCO World Heritage committee, the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau reported this week.
The Missions, which are available for rent by private groups, join an elite list that includes just 22 existing U.S. landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and Independence Hall. They are the largest collection of Spanish colonial architecture in the United States.
"The United States has a powerful and valuable history that encompasses a wide range of peoples, creeds, and experiences," said Crystal Nix-Hines, U.S. ambassador and permanent representative to UNESCO. "The San Antonio Missions represent an important element of our story, and a World Heritage designation allows them to be shared not only within the U.S. but also the wider global community."
The San Antonio Missions -- Mission Concepción, Mission San José, Mission San Juan, Mission Espada, and Mission San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo) -- were built in the early 1700s to convert Native Americans to Christianity and help settle the surrounding region under the flag of Spain. Straddling either side of the San Antonio River, the five Missions span just over seven miles and played an important role in both early Mexican history and in the struggle for Texas independence.
All of the Missions, with the exception of The Alamo, are still active Catholic parishes, collectively hosting millions of visitors every year -- with more to come, according to the San Antonio CVB, which predicts that the Missions' World Heritage Site status will generate an annual economic impact of $44 million to $105 million by 2025.
"San Antonio has grown to become the nation's seventh-largest city while preserving the iconic history upon which it was built," said Casandra Matej, executive director of the San Antonio CVB. "Treasures like the Missions set us apart as an authentic destination, and now with World Heritage status, we are provided a tremendous opportunity to bring even more awareness, visitors, and business to our city."
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