| Located 9 km to east of Panaji, Old Goa was the erstwhile capital of the Portuguese dominions in Goa. Before the arrival of the Portuguese on the Goan shores, Old Goa was the regal capital of Sultan Adil Shah of Bijapur. After defeating the armies of the Sultan, the Portuguese led by Alfonso de Albuquerque started building their empire around Old Goa |
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| As the epicenter of Portuguese territory, Old Goa witnessed the profusion of magnificent churches and majestic buildings befitting the stature of the city. During its halcyon days, Old Goa became famous as the "Lisbon of the East." But soon recurring outbreaks of epidemics like cholera and malaria made the city highly inhospitable and the Portuguese moved their capital to Panaji in 1843. |
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| With the patrons taking shelter elsewhere, Old Goa lost its pre-eminence and the awe-inspiring structures of the city were gradually reduced to ruins. Accorded the World heritage Site status by UNESCO, the opulent buildings and churches of Old Goa today reminds one of the grandeur of a bygone era. |
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This ancient historical former capital of Goa is located about 9 km east of Panaji. It is a UNESCO world heritage site now and is famed for its opulent buildings and churches reminiscent of the glory days of "Golden Goa". It was abandoned by the Portuguese officially in 1843 when the capital was moved to Panjim or Panaji. |
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Today, most of the remaining buildings are maintained by the archeological survey of India and the Archdiocese of Goa. It is a holy site for all Goans particularly Goan Christians because it is the site where the Sacred relics of St Francis Xavier or "Goencho Saib" are preserved for posterity. |
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| As Ela ,it used to be the capital of Goa under Adil Shah. He wanted to shift his capital from Bijapur to Ela, but the arrival of the Portuguese changed all that. Under the Portuguese the city not only became the Capital of Goa but also became famous as the "Lisbon of the East" . At one time its population was estimated to be around 200,000. The decline of Portuguese influence in trade saw the decline of the city. Soon after, repeated attacks of cholera and malaria frustrated the Portuguese authorities. The Viceroy moved out of the city in 1695 to Panelim and finally to Panjim in 1759. The capital was also moved to Panaji officially in 1843. With the departure of the Viceroy and the coincidental expulsion of the Jesuits, the population fell drastically to under a few thousand. Over the next 100 years, the buildings were allowed to fall in ruins and today only a few are in excellent shape. A description of its churches and buildings is provided in the links below along with a short biography of St Francis Xavier, Goencho Saib. |
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| Churches of Old Goa |
| Se Cathedral, Old Goa |
| This is the largest church in Goa, India and reportedly all Asia. The original building was constructed of mud and stones and straw and was erected in 1510 and was dedicated to St. Catherine for it was on St. Catherine's day -Nov 25th that Alfonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa. It underwent modifications subsequently and a second church was constructed in 1515. |
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In 1538 the church status was elevated to that of a Cathedral with the establishment of the Diocese of Goa. This structure located in front of the present structure was also subsequently demolished to make way for the final structure. The Cathedral as it stands today took over three fourths of a century to be completed, beginning in 1562. The Portuguese viceroy, Dom Francisco Coutinho, the Count of Redondo (1561-1564) commissioned its construction. The building work was begun in 1562 and completed in 1652. He wanted it to be " a grandiose church worthy of the wealth, power and fame of the Portuguese who dominated the seas from the Atlantic to the pacific". The money for its construction was to be obtained out of the proceeds of property sold , belonging to Hindus or Muslims who died intestate or without heirs.. It is said to have been built on either a Hindu temple or a muslim mosque. In its final stages of construction, it was supervised by the eminent architects Antonio Argueiros and Julio Simao, Chief engineer to the state of India. The body of the Cathedral was completed in 1619 when the Blessed Sacrament was placed on the Altar on the feast of the Guardian Angel amidst great solemnities and rejoicings. It stood on the main square of the old city, alongside the main road or the Rua Direita, the principal thoroughfare of the city of Old Goa . To its left stood the Senate building and to its right the Palace of the Inquisition, both of which have since completely disappeared. |
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| Church of St Francis of Assisi, Old Goa |
| Attached to the west side of Se Cathedral is the Convent of St. Francis of Assisi whose Church also faces west. The Archiepiscopal Palace, a two storied building, 230 feet in length and 108 feet in breadth joins the Se Cathedral to the Convent. The Archbishops continued to reside in this palace until 1695 when they moved to Panelim because of the epidemic. |
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The Church and the Convent of St. Francis of Assisi was created by the Franciscan friars, eight of whom came to Old Goa in 1517. The future Church and Convent began as a chapel built after the Governor made available to them some houses belonging to a deceased Thanedar Joao Machado. This was subsequently modified to a church in 1521 consecrated to the Holy Spirit on August 2nd 1602. The Convent was initially some cells that the friars built in the garden as their residence. It underwent a renovation in 1529. Around that time it housed some forty friars. In 1835 this Convent was closed by the Portuguese government, its 27 inmates were expelled ,never to return and its property appropriated. Since 1964 the convent houses the Museum of the Archaeological Survey of India. Among the collections in the museum are artifacts, paintings and sculptures . For more details check out the Archaeological Survey of India Museum page. |
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| The Church contiguous to the Convent was demolished in 1661 and rebuilt retaining its old gate made of black stone and exquisitely carved. It has a courtyard and an old large cross made of black stone. Its external architecture belongs to the Tuscan order and its interior to the mosaic-Corinthian style. Its length is about 190 feet and its breadth about 60 feet. the great organ that stood on its side altars was removed and today adorns the church at Margao. The interior is heavily gilded with scenes from the bible and the walls have frescoes showing intricate floral designs. In the niche on the facade stands a statue of St. Michael. A wooden statue of St. Francis of Assisi adorns a pedestal in one of its chapels. Of the nine altars and six chapels that this church once possessed, only three now remain. The main altar has a richly carved niche with a tabernacle supported by four evangelists. Above the tabernacle is a large statue of St. Francis of Assisi and an equally large statue of Jesus on the Cross, about 6 1/2 feet in height. The church presently is not used for religious functions. |
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| Chapel of St. Catherine, Old Goa |
| In front of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi there runs a narrow road that leads west to the Chapel of St. Catherine. It is of historical importance and is the site of an earlier chapel built immediately by Alfonso de Albuquerque upon conquering Goa on St. Catherine's day, November 25th 1510. On the spot stood formerly a gate through which the Portuguese entered the city of Old Goa. The Governor Jorge Cabral enlarged it in 1550. There is a stone inscription mentioning this event. On the eve of the feast of St. Catherine, the annual celebration included processions in which the Viceroys of Goa participated by tradition. In 1534 vide a papal Bull its status was elevated to that of a cathedral by Pope Paul III and it remained so until the new Se Cathedral was built. It is believed to be on the exact spot that Alfonso de Albuquerque entered the city of Old Goa in 1510. The site nearby housed the Royal Hospital founded by Alfonso de Albuquerque in 1511. It was renovated in 1952. |
