Did you know
When the Dutch took Kochi in 1663 they pulled down almost every Catholic church in the area. They spared St. Francis because they wanted it to pray in — and spared Santa Cruz because they wanted somewhere to keep weapons.
Church · Fort Kochi
St. Francis CSI Church
Vasco da Gama was buried here for fourteen years; the empty slab remains.
Free · 170 m from Princess Street
Read the full story Where Vasco da Gama Was Buried for 14 years: A Visit to St. Francis Church in Fort Kochi
More about St. Francis CSI Church
5 of 9- Did you knowEntry to St. Francis Church is free, and it shuts on Sundays.
- Did you knowSt. Francis Church was originally built in 1503 and is one of the oldest European churches in India.
- Did you knowWhen the Dutch took Kochi in 1663 they kept this church as a government church while demolishing the others.
- Did you knowThe gravestone of Vasco Fernandes Pimentel was for a time mistaken for Vasco da Gama’s, because it bore the name Vasco.
- Did you knowThe Portuguese and Dutch gravestones were moved from the church floor to the walls to protect their inscriptions from wear.