ABSTRACT
The Alamo in San Antonio is a sacred place. More specifically, what was once the Spanish mission of San Antonio de Valero-forever renamed the Alamo by the “Texians,” or transplanted Anglo-Americans-has been proclaimed by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas as a shrine. The proclamation is conspicuously displayed at the famous site: “Today,” announces one plaque, “the Alamo is known worldwide as a symbol of patriotism and the Shrine of Texas Liberty.” At one entrance to the old mission-fort complex, where the Texians fought handto-hand against Mexican troops, tourists are accordingly admonished: “This is a shrine; please be quiet.” And, in what is known as the long barrack, there is a shrine-within-a-shrine-a plaque with a Romanesque frame that reads: “What is a shrine?” The last sentence in the answer reads, “The Alamo garrison’s stubborn defense against overwhelming odds earned its members the title of heroes and the Alamo its status as a shrine.” However, as the caption reminds us, in the present instance we commemorate a “patriotic,” not a religious shrine.
