CATEDRAL SÉ DE SANTA CATARINA

St. Catherine's Cathedral is not only the largest church in Goa, it is also the most imposing in all of Asia. On November 25, 1510, Saint Catherine's Day, Alfonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa. To mark this victory, Sebastian I, King of Portugal, ordered the construction of a cathedral and logically dedicated it to the saint. Work began in 1562 and was completed in 1652. Francisco Coutinho, Portuguese viceroy, required that this church be "grandiose and demonstrate the wealth, power and glory of the Portuguese who dominated the seas from the Atlantic to the Pacific". The church was built for the Dominican order, with royal funds. It has a Tuscan exterior and a Corinthian exterior with Baroque accents. The frontispiece rises to 35 meters high and is dominated by a single bell tower. There were originally two, to respect symmetry, but the one on the right collapsed in 1776. The cathedral has 5 bells, the most famous of which, the golden bell, is the biggest in Asia. Built in laterite, it is entirely whitewashed. Massive oblong shape, it presents a classical interior in the shape of a cross with a wide nave, a transept and a choir.

The nave is bordered by eight chapels, two of which are framed by a wooden grill finely decorated with floral motifs. The most remarkable of these, on the left, is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament with its gilded walls and ceiling, which contrasts singularly with the sobriety of the church. On the right side of the main altar is the Chapel of the Cross of Miracles. Jesus Christ is said to have appeared on the cross in 1919. The fully gilded altarpiece shows scenes from the life of St. Catherine of Alexandria. She can be seen waiting for her punishment - she was beheaded - and then transported by angels to Mount Sinai. The high altar and the altarpiece are entirely gilded, reflecting the baroque style in vogue at the time. Wooden stalls were placed for the monks of the convent, as well as a cathedra for the archbishop. On the right side, a small balcony with the organ overlooks the choir. Below, a small room contains the baptismal font dating from 1532, over which St. Francis Xavier is said to have baptized many converts. A small museum of the Archaeological Survey of India is adjacent to the site. Beware, photos inside are prohibited.