 St Augustine Church at Goa is among the spectacular monuments that people love to visit. This tower is one of the most popular landmark of old Goa. With a height of 46 m and a facade that looks magnificent, the church is a major tourist destination. There are a total of ten churches in this region. The tower was built by Augustinian friars in the year 1602. The church was first built by laterite and it was four stories high. There were eight richly adorned chapels along with four alters and numerous cells attached to it.
The church was built in such a way that the visitors would have a glimpse of the retable alter with large gilt tabernacle sheltered with an arch through a screen of arch piers. Until recent times these vestiges were very much visible. Years of Portuguese misrule and oppression combined with regressive policies hastened the fall of the church. In the year 1835, the church was abandoned. Although most part of the church was destroyed, the facade remained intact even after that.
St. Augustine Church had a huge bell and this bell was removed from the church only when it was deserted and destruction of the church seemed imminent. The bell is now in the Church of Our Lady of Rosary. Unfortunately in the year 1931 the facade fell down and from then onwards tourists who come to this place only see half the tower. Today the place is in ruins but people flock to see what was once some of the largest buildings in Goa. |
