Our Lady of The Rosary, Old Goa

On the 25th of November 1510, Goa was conquered by the Portuguese while it was under the rule of the Bijapur Sultan, Ismail-Adil Shah (1510 – 1534). The day of the battle is significant as it happened to be the commemorative day of the Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

While battle raged between the forces of the Bijapur Sultan and the Portuguese soldiers, Portuguese Governor, Afonse de Albuquerque watched the armies from a hill on which stands the Church of Our Lady of Rosary. This edifice with the appearance of a fortress church was built in 1544 – 49, in fulfillment of the vow taken by Albuquerque during the battle. The church architecture conforms to Manueline style which was dominant in Portugal at the beginning of the 16th century during the reign of King Manuel.

Image Credits: Goa Tourism

Planet Goa Team

For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.