Cities & Towns Kerala Kochi Destination Churches St. Francis Church

St. Francis Church

Situated at Parade Road, 2 Km west of Mattancherry in Fort Cochin, this church was originally dedicated to Santo Antonio, the patron Saint of Portugal. It was built by the Portuguese presumably by the Franciscan friars in 1503. It is the first church to have been built in the new European influenced tradition. The original structure in wood, was rebuilt in stone around the mid 6th century. Vasco - Da - Gama the first European to reach India, died in Kochi in 1524 and was originally buried in this church cemetery. After 14 years his remains were removed to Lisbon in Portugal. The gravestone of Vasco - da - Gama can still be seen here. The old rope operated fans in the church are still preserved.

In 1663, when the Dutch arrived in Kochi, they converted it to a protestant church and substantially modified it. The church was under the control of the Dutch until 1795. In 1804, they surrendered the church to the Anglican Communion of the British. The congregation joined the Protestant Church of South India in 1949. The Sunday service is at 0800 hrs, except the 3rd Sunday of each month. Open from sunrise to sunset.

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