La Villita: From Battlefield to Beauty

Today, dear blog readers, we will visit an area once San Antonio’s first neighborhood and the site where in 1836 General Santa Ana established a line of canons to fire upon the Alamo. La Villita has come a long way from the primitive huts which sat there in the early 1800s to a cozy,stone village now housing the city’s art community. Each small shop reveals treasures of paintings, sculpture, clothing, jewelry, and other pieces created by local residents and sometimes even fashioned where visitors can watch them hard at work. It is easy to see the influences of the German and French immigrants who moved into the area in the late 19th Century and of course the rich heritage from Mexico so near to us.

 Despite shopping, La Villita is known for weddings! The Little Church of La Villita is a popular venue and we saw two back to back weddings just while we shopped the area! For a moment, visitors feel like they are walking through small town America with all the beauty and charm of a close knit community. It’s hard not to think of yourself as a guest at these small weddings where family members greet those walking by.

 I plan to take you up close and personal to a couple of the boutique owners next week, but for now, here is slice of the La Villita pie which hopefully will leave you wanting more. After visiting the shops, and a hot coco from La Villita Café, then head down to the Riverwalk through the Arneson Theater…there might even be a show going on, but, if not, in quite times you can watch the river barges drifting by as tourists are introduced to the city.

Tomorrow, I plan to sum up this incredible weekend with some bits & pieces and a tribute to The Fairmount Hotel!

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 

 
 

Feliz Navidad!!

13 Comments

  1. I love it when I catch spontaneous weddings in action. it's so fun to people watch as the bride and groom and attendants scurry about!
    And, seriously, San Antonio should hire you to promote the city with jealous blog readers from colder northern climates. Want to go badly to SA!

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