Spectrum Tours » Goa » Old Goa

Places of Interest
Old Goa has a melancholy beauty, a city of Baroque churches, now revived by a steady flow of tourists and the great pilgrimage to the tomb of ST. FRANCIS XAVIER in the magnificent Cathedral of BOM JESUS. The road to Old Goa from Panaji passes over the causeway built by the then Viceroy. At the end of the causeway is the attractive preserved village ,of 'RIBANDAR' or 'ROYAL HARBOUR', possibly named after the arrival of the Vijaynagar King in the 14'h century AD. The old houses along the road still conjure up an image of the 17°1 century Goa. Old Goa owes its origin as Portuguese capital to Alfonso de Albuquerque, and some of its early ecclesiastical development to St.Francis Xavier who was here in the mid 16th century. Before the Portuguese arrival, it was the second capital of the Bijapur kingdom,

» Church of our lady of help : Originally built in 1565 AD it gives thanks to the safe arrival of a Portuguese vessel after a fierce storm at the sea.
The HOLY HILL has number of churches. The CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY (1526) belongs to the earliest period of church building, the architectural style that evolved borrowed from Iberian decoration, but also included many local naturalistic motifs as well as Islamic elements, seen on marble cenotaph owing to the Hindu and Muslim craftsmen employed. The church here has a two storey entrance, a single tower and low flanking turrets. Behind it is the ROYAL CHAPEL OF ST ANTHONY (1543), the national saint of Portugal and TOWER OF AUGUSTINE. Further on it is the CONVENT OF ST MONICA and CHURCH AND CONVENT OF ST JOHN OF GOD. The other places of interest are HOUSE FOR JESUIT FATHER, MODERN ART GALLERY, the Se CATHERINE (the largest church in old Goa built by the Dominicans between 15621623 AD in a Tuscan style), PALACE OF INQUISITION, the CHURCH AND CONVENT OF ASSIS, ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM, the VICEROY"S ARCH, CHURCH OF ST CAJETAN and GATE OF THE FORTRESS OF THE ADIL SHAH.

» The Basilica Of Bom Jesus (1594) : 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 1964 Pope Pius XII raised the church to a 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.