Branciforte

Branciforte, formally Villa de Branciforte or Pueblo de Branciforte, was the third and last of only three secular pueblos founded by the Spanish colonial government of Alta California (the others were the El Pueblo de Los Ángeles and El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe). The pueblo was established in 1797 on the eastern bluff of the San Lorenzo River, facing Mission Santa Cruz on the west side of the river, in modern-day Santa Cruz, California. The pueblo never prospered, and the area was annexed into the city of Santa Cruz, California in 1905.

The present day Branciforte Small Schools Campus (BSSC) building is located at what was the center of the Villa de Branciforte. A California State historical marker, number 469, is located outside of the building, too, at the corner of Water Street and Branciforte Avenue.