The Getaway- Rancho de Taos and the Miraculous Painting

A couple of week's before we left on our birthday weekend, I was researching places to visit while in the Santa Fe area. After pouring over my New Mexico travel book for awhile, I read a little blurb about a place called Rancho de Taos. While the quaint, little town's history was interesting, what really caught my eye were two words: "miraculous painting". What!? A miracle painting??? Heck yes! Sign us up!
Apparently a painter named Henri Ault created the Shadow of the Cross artwork in 1896. In the daylight it is an image of Christ standing serenely in front of a sea. In the dark, however, the background glows a pale green around the outline of Christ. Behind Him is a shadow of the cross, and some people even see a halo above His head and the bow of a boat in the sea.

The mysterious painting is now displayed at the San Francisco de Assis Mission Church located in the plaza of Rancho de Taos.Once we arrived, I realized the church was enough in and of itself to merit a trip to the area. Built between 1772 and 1815, this adobe Catholic church is dedicated to St. Francis. It has been painted numerous times by Georgia O'Keeffe and photographed by Ansel Adams. Every year in the springtime the residents of Rancho de Taos take a day to re-mud the adobe of the church, what a neat tradition!

The church adopted this stray pitbull, she was so sweet! And I think she liked Jason!

Photography was not allowed inside of the sanctuary, but the grounds of the church were gorgeous.

After strolling around the church it was time to see the painting! Yay! They keep it separated in another building where we watched a 15 minute movie on the history of the church and how the painting came to be located there. After the video is over they turn the lights off so you can see the painting in all of its glowy-awesomeness. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. But sure enough, a few seconds after the lights went off the painting started to emanate light, and brightly at that! Photos were not allowed of the painting, so I pulled these from the internet. Here you see the painting in the light:

http://www.visionsofjesuschrist.com/weeping80.htm

And here it is in the dark:

http://www.globaltrekkers.ca/index.php/30/the-land-of-enchantment/

I think the above photo is actually a picture of a post card,  so it just gives you a vague idea of what it looks like, you definitely have to see it in person to get the full effect. It is pretty amazing! Scientists have even tested it for radium and other materials that would cause it to glow and have come up empty handed. This intrigued Jason, and for the rest of the day he ran through tons of theories of how they would be able to get the glow effect. 

After leaving the painting we walked around the area for awhile taking in the plaza. I love the buildings in New Mexico, they have so much character!

I highly recommend visiting Rancho de Taos if you are in the Santa Fe or Taos areas, it was definitely worth a stop on our road trip!