Since we were at the big cathedral, we also went to this park next door. It was good weather, so it was very pleasant to be outdoors enjoying sun and the landscaping. It was very well organized.

It's part of the Cathedral Basilica, with a generous ground, that has vendors’ tents, selling crafts during the Memorial Day long weekend. On Tuesday, all is quit and tranquil.It also looks out to IAIA.

The park was the First thing I visited in Santa Fe and I was so enamored by the statue in it’s center that I kept returning to it day after day. On each visit I discovered another feature I had overlooked on previous visits. The statue is four sided representing a Spanish conquistador, a Franciscan friar, man & woman settler and their two children. They are supported by livestock - horses, sheep, cattle, a donkey and a pig, all animals that the Spanish introduced to the “new world”. The top of the statue features an image of La Conquistadora who arrived in Santa Fe in 1625. There are crops and tools used by the settlers represented on the statue also. It is just a fabulous piece of bronze artwork.

To the side of the Cathedral is a rectangular park. Its centerpiece is an enormous sculpture. The park has many benches for resting, and that is exactly where I started to write this review and a review of the Cathedral.

This space is worthy of its place adjacent to the great Basilica. It is pleasant an peaceful, even when full of people. There is a fantastic statue at its center and the sets of historic plaques are very informative.