Nine mile south of Tucson, Arizona, the Mission of San Xavier del Bac stands as a symbol of the blending of Native American and European cultures.

Construction of the church began in the late 17th Century, by Jesuit Father Eusebio Kino, and ended in 1797 under the rule of the competing order of the Franciscans under Father Juan Bautista Velderrain.

The building consists of a central dome flanked by two bell towers that display the architecture prevalent during the Spanish Renaissance. Ignacio Gaona designed the interior of the church to reflect two important competing cultures within Spanish history, the Byzantine and Muslim.

The top half of the church exhibits a Muslim architectural influence with its arch, dome, and window construction, while the lower half displays Byzantine with its statuettes and use of gold in designs.

The bell towers imitate an ancient Aztec design, and merge Old World and New World designs. The Franciscans named the structure in honor of one of the founding members of the Jesuit order, Saint Xavier, at its foundation, even though the Spanish Crown eliminated the power of the Jesuits in New Spain by 1767.

San Xavier passed from Spanish rule to Mexican after the latter claimed its independence in 1821. The Mission passed from Mexican land to that of the United States with the Gadsden Purchase in 1854.

Despite an extended absence that ended in the early 20th Century; the Franciscans have maintained this site as a dedication to the area's Native and European roots.

Narrative written by University of West Florida Public History Student, Ryan Broome.