History
From 1656 to 1704, Mission San Luis occupied one of the tallest hills in what is now Tallahassee. The village served as the principal seat for the Chief of the Apalachee Indians, the base of operations of the Lt. Governor of Spanish Florida, and as the combined home for an estimated 1,500 Apalachee and 150 Spanish people. Founded and operated in a time of empire and colonization, many new items and beliefs were shared between both the Spanish and Apalachee. After nearly 50 years of cohabitation both internal and external issues led to the abandonment of Mission San Luis and the scattering of the Apalachee people as the entire Spanish Mission System collapsed.
Since the time of the Mission the site has been left abandoned, used as a plantation, a vineyard, the site of a grand mansion, extensively excavated, and is now a public history museum. The story of Mission San Luis is vast, interconnected, and a key piece of Florida history.
