Santa Fe celebrates 400th anniversary in 2010

Santa Fe celebrates 400th anniversary in 2010

SANTA FE, N.M. — Santa Fe is celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2010.

The commemoration continues through all of the new year with arts, entertainment, festivals and food and wine events.

Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in North America. Spanish colonialists claimed New Mexico in the 1500s, and the capital of the territory was moved to Santa Fe in 1610. Santa Fe’s Palace of the Governors was made from adobe in the early 17th century and served as Spain’s government headquarters for the region.

Santa Fe describes the Palace of the Governors as the oldest public building in the U.S.; today it houses a library and history exhibits. A market for Native American vendors has been held facing the building’s plaza for centuries.

Other noteworthy sites in Santa Fe, both historic and modern, include the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, which was dedicated in 1887; Loretto Chapel, built in the 1870s; the New Mexico Museum of Art; the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum; and Museum Hill, where you’ll find four museums on a plaza, the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the Museum of International Folk Art, and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.

The Railyard, an old part of Santa Fe, has recently been revitalized with a park, a farmers market, art galleries, restaurants and shops.

For more information about Santa Fe and the 400th anniversary, visit www.santafe400th.com.