On this 2.5-hour walking tour, we’ll explore how author Willa Cather was inspired to write her "best book" (her words), Death Comes for the Archbishop, by retracing her steps through Santa Fe in 1925 and 1926. We'll gather at the Plaza opposite La Fonda, the hotel where Cather and her partner Edith Lewis stayed during their visits. Cather has become an LGBTQ+ icon since the publication of her letters in 2013, and during this experience, we will read from her letters, interviews, and articles, in addition to seeing historic footage of Santa Fe. Our walking route covers about 1.5 miles, mostly on sidewalks, but also climbs a hill to the Cross of the Martyrs with its outstanding view of the city below. During our time together, we'll explore aspects of the novel, such as Kit Carson, Padre Antonio José Martínez, and of course Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy, New Mexico's first Catholic archbishop and the real-life inspiration for the fictional Bishop Latour in Cather's book. We will learn about Sister Blandina Segale who helped set up a hospital in Lamy's house and visit the last remnant of Lamy's six-acre garden behind the St. Francis Cathedral in the peaceful Stations of the Cross Prayer Garden.
RENESAN does not provide transportation or make carpool arrangements for tours.