Mission San Francisco de Solano: The 21st California Mission

Clarifying the Name and Number

There is no "Mission San Francisco Solano." The correct name is Mission San Francisco de Solano, founded on July 4, 1823, in present-day Sonoma, California.

Key Facts

• Number: 21st (and last) of the 21 Spanish missions in Alta California.
• Founder: Father José Altimira, under Mexican rule (after 1821).
• Purpose: Extend mission chain north of San Francisco Bay; counter Russian presence at Fort Ross.
• Secularization: 1834, under Mexican government decree.
• Current Status: Part of Sonoma State Historic Park; restored chapel, museum, and quadrangle ruins.

The mission's name honors St. Francis Solanus, a 16th-century Spanish Franciscan missionary to South America. It is the only mission founded after Mexican independence and the only one not founded by Junípero Serra.