ABOUT SANTA FE

more... ABOUT SANTA FE

HOW TO TALK “SANTA FE”

	Acequia	Man-made irrigation ditch.
	Adobe	Mud brick that is dried in the sun. The first adobe bricks were used 8,500 years ago in the Middle East.
	Alameda	A tree-shaded promenade or public park. Spanish for “cottonwood tree”.
	Arroyo	Dry riverbed that occasionally fills with water from rains and run-off.
	Aspen	High-elevation deciduous tree with leaves that turn a brilliant gold in the fall.
	Banco	A bench made of adobe and covered with plaster.
	Bienvenidos	“Welcome” in Spanish.
	Bosque	Low-lying area near a river densely forested with cottonwoods and other deciduous trees.
	Calle	“Street” in Spanish.
	Camino	“Road” in Spanish.

Canale	A roof spout that carries water off of a flat pueblo roof.
Casa	“House” or “home” in Spanish.
Chamiso	An evergreen shrub in the rose family that turns a golden color in the fall.
Coping	Decorative detail on the top edge of a building and around doors and windows.
Corbel	Short sculpted beam lying on top of a post or a wall.
Coved Ceiling	A ceiling in which the part next to the wall is constructed in a cove.
Cuesta	A ridge with a gentle slope on one side and a cliff on the other.
Escarpment Ordinances	Laws in the Santa Fe area prohibiting building and excavation of mountainsides beyond a certain steepness.
Faralito	“Little lantern” in Spanish. Typically a paper bag with a sand ballast and candle lit for Christmas.
Fiesta	An elaborate party, often outdoors.
Flagstone	Flat sheets of stone mined locally, used for flooring in homes and patios.
Historic Style Ordinances	Regulations governing the architectural style of all buildings within the Historic District of Downtown Santa Fe.
Horno	Freestanding adobe bread oven found at most pueblos and Indian homes.
Juniper Tree	High desert evergreen that seldom grows more than 15 feet tall.
Kiva	Traditional round, flat-roofed religious chamber found in Indian pueblos.
Kiva fireplace	A small beehive shaped fireplace.
La Fonda	“The Hotel” in Spanish.
La Posada	“The Inn” in Spanish.
Latillas	Small branches used as ceiling planking, made of aspen, pine or cedar.
Lintel	Wooden beam bridging window or door openings.
Mesa	Flat top mountain called “a table” in Spanish.
Nicho	Small shelf carved into a wall.
Paraje	“Place” in Spanish.
Parapet	A low wall extending above the roof line in Pueblo style architecture.
Paseo	Passage or walkway or “to Promenade” in Spanish.
Pinon Tree	High-desert nut-bearing evergreen tree.
Plaza	Public square in the center of town. The site of traditional evening paseo or “promenade”.
Portal	Patio attached to a home, covered with a fixed roof supported by posts.
Puerta	“Door” in Spanish.
Ristra	A string of drying red chilies.
Saltillo Tile	Simple fired earthen tile made in Saltillo, Mexico.
Stucco	Final cement color coat plastered on the exterior of an adobe-style building.
Talavera Tile	Colorful hand-decorated Mexican tile used for countertops and trim.
Ventana	“Window” in Spanish.
Vigas	Round logs used as ceiling beams.