Church of St. Francis of Assisi
Journeying west from the Se Cathedral, one comes upon the Old Palace of the Archbishop, which serves as a conduit from the cathedral to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi was built in 1661 by the Portuguese in the Portuguese Viceroyalty of India. The Church of St. Francis of Assisi, together with a convent, was established by eight Portuguese Franciscan friars who landed in Goa in 1517.
Address: Off National Highway 4, Goa Velha, Goa 403110
Opened: 1661
Architectural style: Baroque
Founder: Franciscans
Timings
The Museum is open 7 days a week and its timings are as follows : 9.00 am – 12.30 pm and 3.00 pm to 6.30 pm
The Church is open 6 days a week and the Timings are as follows : Mon to Sat – 7.30 am to 6.30 pm
Thanks in part to its renovation in 1665, this graceful building displays a charming mix of architectural styles and intricately carved artwork. The adjoining convent has long since been converted into the Archaeological Museum and is worth a visit in its own right. No tour of Old Goa could be complete without a visit to this twofold attraction.
Claim to Fame
The blending of Portuguese-Manueline style portal from the older structure into the later Tuscan style building, to produce a unique specimen of architecture. The adjoining convent houses the Museum of Archaeological History.
The three tier facade have octagonal towers on each side and in the central niche there is a statue of St. Michael. The main entrance is decorated with circular pilasters and rosette band. The central nave is barrel-vaulted while the crossing is rib-vaulted which supports the choir. The internal buttress walls, separating the chapels and supporting the gallery on top, have frescoes showing floral designs. Above the tabernacle in the main altar is a large statue of St. Francis of Assisi and Jesus on the cross, statues of St. Peter and St. Paul are seen below. The adjoining walls of nave retain painted panels depicting scenes from the life of St Francis of Assisi.
Must View List
Statue of Our lady of Miracles in the niche in the façade, brought over from Sri Lanka
Octagonal towers
Manueline architecture of the portal
Paintings on the interior walls depicting scenes from the Bible
Statues of St. Francis of Assisi and Jesus on the altar
Baroque and Corinthian carvings on the altar itself
Wood Paintings depicting the life of St. Francis of Assisi
Frescoes with floral decorations
History, Construction and Architecture
The original shrine, constructed by the Fransican monks in 1521 and subsequently enlarged, was showing signs of decay, so a new church was constructed and dedicated to the Holy Spirit. Built in 1665, it retained the portal of the old structure which was in the Portuguese–Manueline style. It is a unique architectural specimen, of this style in the country.
The façade of the church is built in the Tuscan style of architecture with only the portal being Manueline since it is a relic from the older structure. The façade is also distinctive in that it is flanked by octagonal towers.
Interior and Art
In contrast to the simple outer façade the interiors of the church are unabashedly and lavishly decorated in the Baroque style using Corinthian influences. The highlight is the main altar, which has fine examples of this kind of work.
The altar is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and has above it a huge statue of the saint, and another of Jesus. These statues display excellent features and attention to detail. Flanking the altar are superb paintings on wood depicting scenes from the life of St. Francis of Assisi and the history of the Seraphic Order.
Convent and Museum of Archaeological History
The Convent was built by the Franciscan friars around 1527 and later expanded. Today it houses the museum, established by the Archaeological Survey of India in 1964. Valuable sculptures and icons of pre-Portuguese era and portraits of Viceroys and Governor-Generals are displayed here.
This westward facing church has watched patiently over the faithful and seen the sun set on the Portuguese reign in India. The convent having been at first the simple living quarters of the Franciscan monks, then a convent and now a museum, is a timeless place, well worth a visit.
Courtesy : Wikipedia & Goa Tourism
Images : Wikipedia
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