• Santa Fe Plaza - The group will meet at the Plaza across from La Fonda, the hotel where Cather and her partner Edith Lewis stayed during their visits. Since the release of her letters in 2013, Cather has become an LGBTQ+ icon. During this experience, participants will read from her letters, interviews, and articles, and view historic footage of Santa Fe.
• Cross of the Martyrs - Participants will delve into Cather’s inspiration for writing “Death Comes for the Archbishop” through various readings from her articles, interviews, and letters.
• The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi - The tour will conclude at the Lamy statue in front of the St. Francis Cathedral, which Cather noted as an inspiration for her novel.

• Charming guide

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.

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.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.