San Antonio’s historic Missions gain World Heritage recognition S.A. delegation in Germany for meeting

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is the nation’s largest collection of Spanish colonial resources. Pictured left to right, and established along the San Antonio River, missions Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada are part of a colonization system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. less San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is the nation’s largest collection of Spanish colonial resources. Pictured left to right, and established along the San Antonio River, missions Concepción, ... more Image 1 of / 285 Caption Close San Antonio’s historic Missions gain World Heritage recognition 1 / 285 Back to Gallery

It’s official: San Antonio’s five historic missions are now a World Heritage Site.

That designation is shared by such outstanding places as the Taj Mahal, Stonehenge and the Grand Canyon.

Early Sunday, a delegation from San Antonio was in Bonn, Germany, to witness the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, known as UNESCO, approve the missions’ nomination.

What it means: Tourists from around the world are more likely to find out about the missions and visit San Antonio.

“The city of San Antonio is delighted with UNESCO’s action today and the recognition that our Spanish colonial missions are of outstanding cultural historical value to the people of the world,” San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor said in a news release.

City Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran, whose district includes the four missions that make up the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, called the inscription “a monumental moment for all our families who have lived in and around the missions because we are very proud of being from the South Side.”

The missions are now the only World Heritage Site in Texas, and one of 23 in the U.S. Around the world, there are 1,007 World Heritage Sites, although that number just grew this weekend as the committee approved other nominations.

The site includes the state-owned Alamo, or Mission San Antonio de Valero, and the four federally run missions — Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada — that each has an active Catholic parish. It also includes Rancho de las Cabras, nearly 100 acres of federal parkland about 25 miles southeast of the city by the San Antonio River, with ruins from its historic use as a mission ranch.

What’s next: A celebration at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Alamo.

Stories on ExpressNews.com explain in detail the work that went into the nomination, how it started and what the designation could mean for the missions. An interactive map with photos shows and describes the existing World Heritage sites in the U.S. Watch a short video about the missions.

shuddleston@express-news.net

Twitter: @shuddlestonSA