Churches and Convents of Goa
Old Goa (Velha Goa), Goa
Photos
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This was once a city bigger than Lisbon. Malaria and a silting river emptied it, and only the churches were left standing.
What you're looking at
The surviving religious buildings of Velha Goa, capital of Portuguese India from the early 16th century. The Basilica of Bom Jesus holds the body of St Francis Xavier; the Sé Cathedral is one of the largest churches in Asia; St Augustine survives as a single leaning tower. Around them, the streets of the city they served have vanished entirely.
Why it matters
These buildings introduced European Baroque, Renaissance and Manueline architecture to Asia, built by Indian craftsmen in local laterite and lime plaster, and they became the model for church building across Portuguese Asia. The city was abandoned in the 18th century after repeated epidemics — so what stands is a set of cathedrals in a field.
Look for these
01
St Francis Xavier's casket
In the Basilica, raised on a marble and jasper monument, with a silver casket. His body is brought down for public veneration roughly once a decade — the Exposition draws enormous crowds.
02
Laterite under the plaster
The Basilica's facade has lost its lime render, exposing the red laterite beneath. It is why that church looks so different from the whitewashed Sé next door.
03
The Golden Bell
In the Sé Cathedral's surviving tower — one of the largest in Goa, and it once rang for the Inquisition's public sentencings.
04
One tower where a church was
St Augustine's is a 46-metre fragment. The rest collapsed in stages through the 19th century. Standing under it gives you the scale of what has gone.
05
The empty ground between
The lawns and roads around the churches are where the city was. Nothing domestic survives at all.
Before you go
- Go early — the coaches arrive around eleven and the churches change completely.
- Mass is celebrated in several; visitors are welcome to sit quietly at the back.
- Shoulders and knees covered.
- About 10 km from Panaji, and easy to combine with a Goa beach trip.
- The feast of St Francis Xavier falls on 3 December and fills the whole complex.
Visitor guide to Churches and Convents of Goa.
1510–1675 CE
November–February (pleasant weather)
2–3 hours
Archaeological Survey of India with the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman
History
Old Goa became the capital of Portuguese India in 1510, and the Portuguese built churches, convents and cathedrals to serve the colony and support missionary work across Asia. Early structures such as the Chapel of St Catherine and Church of Our Lady of the Rosary show late Manueline and Mannerist features; later monuments — the Sé Cathedral, Basilica of Bom Jesus and Church of St Cajetan — embody Baroque and Corinthian styles, with interiors of gilded altarpieces, frescoes and carved retables. After the capital moved to Panjim in the 18th century Old Goa declined, but the major churches survive and still draw pilgrims and visitors.
1510
Chapel of St Catherine built to mark the Portuguese capture of Goa
1549
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary completed
1605
Basilica of Bom Jesus consecrated; it holds the relics of St Francis Xavier
1661
Church of St Cajetan and its convent completed
1986
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
Why it matters
In Indian history
Witness to more than two centuries of Portuguese rule and the introduction of Christianity to India, fusing European liturgical architecture with local building traditions.
In world history
Among the earliest European monuments in Asia, they spread artistic and architectural styles across the continent and are linked to the global missionary work of the Jesuits and other orders.
Style: Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque (Indo-Portuguese)
Outstanding Universal Value
Inscribed 1986 under criteria (ii), (iv), (vi). UNESCO listing
Brief synthesis
In Old Goa, this serial property of seven monuments (1510 to the 17th century) reflects Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque styles and illustrates the influence of Portuguese missions in Asia and the development of Indo-Portuguese art and architecture.
Criteria
Criterion (ii): the monuments spread European art and architecture through Asia in the 16th–18th centuries. Criterion (iv): they exemplify Western liturgical architecture adapted to local traditions. Criterion (vi): the Basilica of Bom Jesus holds the relics of St Francis Xavier, an object of universal veneration.
Integrity
The property includes the principal surviving churches and convents of Old Goa, representing all essential architectural and artistic elements; weathering, capillary damp and termites remain threats.
Authenticity
The churches retain their original layouts, masonry and decorative schemes, supported by continued use for worship and appropriate conservation.
Protection & management
Protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (1958); conservation is managed jointly by the ASI, the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and local panchayats.
Current condition
Generally well preserved and still active places of worship, though they face weathering of laterite masonry, termite infestation and rising damp.
Concerns: Humidity and saline breeze (capillary action), Termite damage, Tourist pressure.
Visiting
November–February (pleasant weather)
2–3 hours
Timings
Open 07:30 to 18:00. Mass times vary; some churches restrict entry during services
As of 2025. Always reconfirm before travelling.
| Entry ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| General visitorsEntry to the churches is free | Free |
Fees as of 2025. Reconfirm at the official ticket counter.
Getting there
Nearest airport
Goa International Airport (GOI), Dabolim · ~24 km
Nearest railway
Karmali · ~3 km
By road
About 10 km east of Panjim on NH-748; taxis, buses and scooters connect the two.
Getting around
Regular local buses run from Panjim; within the heritage precinct it is best explored on foot.
Do's & Don'ts
Do
- Dress modestly and keep silence inside the churches
- Check mass timings before visiting
- Respect worshippers
Don't
- No flash photography where prohibited
- Do not touch altarpieces or lean on old walls
- Do not litter or eat inside the churches
Sources
Collective visitor numbers were unavailable; fees and timings are for the main churches (e.g. Sé Cathedral).
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