The Great Cross at the Mission Nombre de Dios, St. Augustine.
Hispanic Heritage Month Each year from September 15 until October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized by the National Park Service and their partners share the history, heritage, contributions, and accomplishments of Hispanic and Latinx Americans who have influenced and enriched our culture and society. This week our newsletter introduces you to beautiful sculpture, the place where Catholicism came to the Ancient City, and a taste of Peru. Follow the Spanish Heritage Itinerary below to plan your next trip to St. Augustine.
CONTEMPLATING NATURE
Marianne Lerbs is a multi-faceted and talented fine artist, sculptor, painter, and musician from Caracas, Venezuela. With support from her mother, a well-respected art critic, and her father, always encouraging her pursuit of art, Marianne has traveled around South America, North America, and Europe to visit the world’s most important museums. She came to St. Augustine in 1992 where she taught art at Flagler College while working on her own art. She learned to carve marble and alabaster from resident artist and late husband Thomas Glover W, who she co-founded the St. Augustine Beach Sculpture Garden in 2010. Marianne’s work is featured in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, and Jacksonville galleries and has won several awards including Most Advanced Art and Cutting Edge Art. You can find Marianne’s work at the Casa Monica Hotel where she was commissioned to represent the historic women of St. Augustine and scenes of Florida History. Some of Marianne’s large sculptures and paintings are part of the Kessler Collection for the Grand Bohemian Hotels in Orlando, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia. More on Marianne Lerbs.
NATION’S FIRST MASS
Over 450 years ago, Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés came ashore to claim land for Spain and the Catholic Church, but he wasn’t technically the first to arrive in what is now St. Augustine.
The expedition’s fleet chaplain was a man named Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales who landed on the Timucuan Indian village the day before Menendez arrived. Father Lopez greeted him with a large cross at a site now known as the Mission Nombre de Dios. A sculpture of the priest now welcomes you with open arms. Lopez is recognized as being the priest who heldthe first Mass and founded the first mission in what would become the first permanent settlement in the United States.
This event is commemorated with a 208-foot tall stainless steel cross located in close proximity to the Shrine of Our Lady de la Leche, the oldest Marian shrine in the US.
Artist Dr. Ivan Mestrovic created the bronze statue of Father Lopez, wearing priestly vestments, with the Great Cross standing high in the background. Click HERE link below to learn about the History of Catholicism.
FLAVORS OF PERU
Chef Marcel Vizcarra came to the US 10 years ago from his native Peru. He worked in Palm Coast kitchens until 2016 when he leased space on Anastasia Island he called Llama Restaurant. The cozy interior is minimalist in design with colorful, woven tapestries and other motifs reminiscent of his homeland. Fresh vegetables, spices, and unique preparation techniques like ceviche characterize traditional Preuvian cuisine. Vizacarra’s dishes are elevated with fresh ingredients from the garden behind the restaurant and by tapping into his classical French training, as evidenced by the signature dish mar y tierra. This is Llama’s version of a surf and turf with hangar steak and shrimp served over a bed a papperdelle pasta tossed in an amarillo pepper huancaina cream sauce. The menu is updated seasonally with some long-standing signature dishes. Vizcarra creates artful presentations of authentic Peruvian cuisine to highlight the vast microsystems from the coast to the mountains. Take a trip all over Peru with ingredients like Amazonian arapaima, octopus, beef heart, giant corn, and passionfruit. More on Lamas Restaurant HERE.
This arts and culture newsletter is funded in part by the organizations listed below and through the generous support of our stakeholders.
