Page 504 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

502  SOUTHWESTERN INDIA

Old Goa: Basilica de Bom Jesus
The Basilica de Bom Jesus is revered by Roman Catholics
all over the world, since it houses the mortal remains of
Goa’s patron saint, Francis Xavier. It was the first church Doorway to
in South Asia to be granted the status of Minor Basilica, the Sacristy
by Pope Pius XII in 1946. Built by the Jesuits in 1594, this An exquisitely
grand Baroque structure blends Corinthian, Doric, Ionic carved wooden
door leads to
and composite styles in its magnificent three-tiered the sacristy.
façade. The Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III, donated the
elaborate tomb of St Francis in exchange for the pillow
that lay under the saint’s head. The tomb took the
Florentine sculptor Giovanni Foggini ten years to build;
it was finally assembled in 1698. The adjoining Professed
House (1589) was used as the priests’ quarters until it
was damaged by a fire in 1633.

. Main Altar
The gilded reredos has a
statue of St Ignatius of Loyola
and another of the Infant
Jesus. Local craftsmen, used
to decorating temples, made
plump, typically Hindu looking
cherubs on the altar.
St Francis Xavier (1506–1552)
Francis Xavier was sent to Goa by the Portuguese king,
Dom Joao III. He arrived in May 1542, aged 36, and worked
tirelessly over the next few years, converting nearly 30,000
people. He died while on voyage off
the coast of China in 1552, and was
temporarily buried on an island. When
his body was dug up three months
later to transfer his bones, it showed
no signs of decay. A year later, when
his remains were enshrined in the
Basilica in Goa, his body was still in
pristine condition. This was declared a
miracle, and in 1622 he was canonized.
Expositions of his relics take place
St Francis Xavier, every ten years or so, the last one Catholic nuns at
Art Gallery was in 2014–2015. the entrance to
the Basilica
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p701 and pp715–16

502-503_EW_India.indd 502 26/04/17 11:47 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm