The name Chimayo is derived from the Tewa Indian term Tsi nMayoh and was given to a sacred place of the Pueblo Indians nlocated in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between nSanta Fe and Taos. Many of the Spanish colonists who settled nin Chimayo after peaceful reentry to New Mexico in 1692 were ndescendants of those who left Castile and Extremadura. Nurtured by ntheir faith and strengthened by the traditions and skills they brought nfrom Spain, settlers converted a harsh environment into a fertile, ngreen valley that provided them a livelihood for several generations. nIn 1810, Don Bernardo Abeyta, a prominent citizen of Chimayo, ndiscovered a crucifix buried near a sacred well of healing earth, where nhe built a church.

This is the site of present-day Santuario de Chimayo, nalso known as the Lourdes of America. Over the centuries, the ndescendants of Chimayo colonists developed a unique weaving tradition nthat is also known throughout the world. Present-day Chimayo offers a nunique glimpse into a culture that has endured for centuries.