St. Francis Church
St.
Francis Church, allegedly India's
oldest European-built church, was constructed in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan
friars who accompanied the expedition led by Pedro Alvarez Cabral. The original
wooden structure was rebuilt in stone around the mid-16th century. The earliest
Portuguese inscription in the church is dated 1562. The Protestant Dutch
captured Cochin in 1663 and
restored the church in 1779. After the occupation of Cochin
by the British in 1795, it became an Anglican church and is presently being
used by the Church of South
India. Having died in Cochin
in 1524, Vasco da Gama was
buried here for 14 years before his remains were taken to Lisbon.
His tombstone can be seen in the church. Rope-operated punkahs
or fans are one of this Church's unusual features.
Read
More About Vasco Da Gama Global Exchange Kerala Reality Tour GX Tour Itinerary Page
http://campus.northpark.edu/history/WebChron/WestEurope/DaGama.html
Richard W. Franke: Kerala Vistors
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