A fine example of Baroque style architecture, this very church provided a design template for many other churches built in Goa. The unplastered exterior is compensated with the intricately designed exterior.

The Facade: The first thing that catches one’s attention is, of course, the grand façade made of black laterite, and is truly a magical blend of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian designs. It has a dimension of 183 ft in length, 55 ft in breadth, and 61ft in height. The facade along with other architectural structures has made this church comparable even to the churches in Rome. The facade is divided into four parts. The lowest part is fitted with three wide entrance points. Corresponding to these, there are three windows on the second storey. Above this, the third floor is marked with three circular windows and the last and the fourth part, is a quadrangle with rich arabesque ornamentation.

Sacristy: The church’s sacristy is another testimony of its architectural perfection. The sacristy is the room where the priests get ready for ... More

A fine example of Baroque style architecture, this very church provided a design template for many other churches built in Goa. The unplastered exterior is compensated with the intricately designed exterior.

The Facade: The first thing that catches one’s attention is, of course, the grand façade made of black laterite, and is truly a magical blend of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian designs. It has a dimension of 183 ft in length, 55 ft in breadth, and 61ft in height. The facade along with other architectural structures has made this church comparable even to the churches in Rome. The facade is divided into four parts. The lowest part is fitted with three wide entrance points. Corresponding to these, there are three windows on the second storey. Above this, the third floor is marked with three circular windows and the last and the fourth part, is a quadrangle with rich arabesque ornamentation.

Sacristy: The church’s sacristy is another testimony of its architectural perfection. The sacristy is the room where the priests get ready for their service and holy things are kept till the next service. Well proportioned with the height of the ceiling, this rectangular-shaped area has a height of 20 meters. The light which comes through the octagonal windows enhances the beauty of the interior.

On entering one can see the altar of St. Antony on the right side beneath the choir and an intricately carved statue of St. Xavier on the left. The cenotaph (an empty tomb) of the benefactor of the church, Dom Jeronimo Mascarenhas, lies in the middle of the nave.

Mausoleum: Inside this mausoleum lies the sacred remains of St. Francis Xavier, protected inside a silver casket. It is placed on the uppermost part of the three tired bier. The tomb is made of red and purple colored jasper with marble embellishments. Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III di Medici gifted this tomb to the Basilica and the artistic hands behind this masterpiece are of Giovanni Batista Foggini, an ace sculptor from Florence.

The Art Gallery: Atop the attic of the Basilica, overlooking the tomb is the Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery. The stairs near the sacristy lead up to the gallery which showcases the works of Goan Surrealist painter Dom Martin. One of the largest of its kind in Asia, the gallery treasures 36 oil paintings, and 14 ink drawings. Two among them, The Last Judgement (6ftx 9ft) and Genesis (4ft x 28 ft) outshine the rest owing to their size.

The Professed House: The Professed House of the Jesuits, which predates the basilica is a lime plastered two-storey building standing next to the Basilica. Many Jesuit missions were planned and organized from here. Even though the ravages of time has had its effect on this building, a major fire which broke out in 1663 caused large scale destruction. It was later rebuilt in 1783.