Rose Window / Ventana de Rosa

No one knows why this intricate carving is called the Rose Window. It was possibly dedicated to Saint Rose, and its baroque beauty became entwined with San Antonio legends. The artistry on the church wall suggests it may have served as a portal for important events, perhaps when a priest displayed the Eucharist to a congregation gathered outside once a year on the feast day of Saint Rose. Church records are silent about who created the famed window and why. In the early last century, a legend arose connecting the Rose Window to a Spaniard, Pedro Huizar, whose fiancée, Rosa, died while sailing from Spain to join him. According to the legend, Huizar carved the masterpiece in her memory, and Rosa's spirit visited him there on the day he finished the work.

San Antonio, Texas · United States