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GOA |
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OLD GOA-Sightseeing
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| Se
Cathedral |
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The largest Churches in Old
Goa, Se
Cathedral was begun in 1562 during the reign of King 
Dom Sebastiao (1557-8). It was substantially completed by 1619,
though the altars were not finished until 1652. The cathedral was
built for the Dominicans and paid for by royal treasury out of the
proceeds of the sale of crown property.
The building's style is
Portuguese-Gothic with a Tuscan exterior and Corinthian interior.
They were once two tower a, one either side of the facade, but one
collapsed in 1776 The remaining tower houses a famous bell, one of
the largest in Goa, often called Golden Bell because its rich sound.
The main altar is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandra, and
painting on either side of it depict scenes from life and martydom. |
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| Convent &
Church of St Francis of Assisi |
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This is one of the most interesting
building in Old Goa. It contain gilded and carved woodwork, old
murals depicting scenes from the life of St Francis, and a floor
substantially made of carved gravestones-complete with family coats
of arms dating back to the early 16th century. The church was built
by eight Franciscan friars who arrives here in 1517 and constructed
a small chapel consisting of three altars and a choir. This was
later pulled down and the present building was built on the same
spot in 1661.
The convent at
the back of this church is now the Archaeological Museum
(open Saturday to Thursday, 10 am to 5 pm; free entry).
It is home to many portraits of the Portuguese viceroys, most of
them inexpertly touched up or restored; fragments of sculpture from
Chalukyan and Hoysala influences; stone Vetal images from the
animist cult which flourished in this part of India Centuries ago;
and model of a Portuguese carvel, minus the
rigging. |
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| Church of St
Cajetan |
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Modeled on the original
design of St Peter's in Rome, this church was built by Italian
friars of
the Order of Theatines, who were sent by Pope Urban III to preach
Christianity in the kingdom of Golconda ( near Hyderabad ). The
friars were not permitted to work in Golconda, so settled at Old Goa
in 1640. The construction of the church began in 1655. Historically,
It's of much less interest than the other
churches.
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| Church of St
Augustine Ruins |
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All that is really left of this
church is the enormous 46 meters tower which served as a belfry and
formed part of the facade of the church. The few other remnants are
choked with creepers and weeds, and access is difficult. The church
was constructed in 1602 by Augustine friars who arrived at Old Goa
in 1587. It was abandoned in 1835 due to the repressive policies of
the Portuguese government, which was resulted in the eviction of
many religious orders from Goa. The church fell into neglect and the
vault collapsed in 1842. In 1931, the facade and half the tower fell
down, followed by more sections in 1938. |
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| Convent &
Church of St Monica |
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This huge three storey laterite
building was completed in 1627, only to burn down nine years later.
Reconstruction started the following year, and its from this time
that the building date. Once known as the Royal Monastery, due to
the royal patronage which it enjoyed, the building is now used by
the Master Dei Institute as a nunnery and was inaugurated in 1964.
Visitors are allowed inside if they are reasonably dressed. There
are fading murals on the inside of the western walls.
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| The Basilica of
Bom Jesus(1594) |
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The world-renowned church contains
the body of St. Francis Xavier, a former pupil of soldier - turned -
saint, Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Order of Jesuits. St.
Francis Xavier remains the principal spiritual treasure of the
territory. The Jesuits began
work on their own church in 1594. By 1605 it was finished and
consecrated. In 1613 the body of St. Francis was brought there from
the Clooege of ST Paul. It was moved into the church in 1624 and its
present chapel in 1655 where it has remained ever since. St. Francis
was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622 and in 1624 and 1964
Pope XII raised the church to minor basilica. The Order of Jesuits
was suppressed in 1759 and its property confiscated by the State.
The church was, however allowed to continue services. The
Professed
House, next door to
the basilica, is a two storey laterite building covered with lime
plaster. It was completed in 1585, despite much opposition to the
Jesuits. Part of the building burned down in 1633 and was partially
rebuilt in 1783. There's a modern art gallery attached to
basilica.
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Old Goa |
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