Church · Fort Kochi
St. Francis CSI Church
Vasco da Gama was buried here for fourteen years; the empty slab remains.
St. Francis Church, on Saint Francis Church Road in Fort Kochi, is among the oldest European churches in India. The Portuguese built the first one here in wood and mud in 1503. In 1506 the Raja of Cochin let the Portuguese viceroy Francisco de Almeida rebuild it in stone.
You walk in from the road and see Portuguese tombs on one wall and Dutch ones on the other. Hand-pulled cloth punkah fans still hang overhead. The gravestones were moved from the floor to the walls to protect their lettering.
Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524, and his body lay in this church. After fourteen years his remains were moved to Lisbon, and the empty slab is still in the floor.
When the Dutch took Kochi in 1663 they pulled down most of its churches but kept this one as a government church. Entry is free. It is open 9am to 5pm from Monday to Thursday. On Friday it closes at 3pm, and on Saturday at 1pm. It shuts on Sundays.
A monument of national importance.
What the cats hear
What visitors liked
- India’s oldest European church, and Vasco da Gama’s original burial site.
- Peaceful, well-maintained, quiet sanctuary.
- A unique feature — manually operated cloth fans (punkahs).
Did you know
Vasco da Gama was buried in St. Francis Church for 14 years before his bones were shipped home to Lisbon. The empty slab is still in the floor.
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.
The church still holds a Dutch baptism and marriage register running from 1751 to 1804. Dutch visitors come to look up their own ancestors in it.
Entry to St. Francis Church is free, and it shuts on Sundays.
When the Dutch took Kochi in 1663 they kept this church as a government church while demolishing the others.
The Portuguese and Dutch gravestones were moved from the church floor to the walls to protect their inscriptions from wear.
The gravestone of Vasco Fernandes Pimentel was for a time mistaken for Vasco da Gama’s, because it bore the name Vasco.
Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 and was buried in this church, and after fourteen years his remains were moved to Lisbon.
In 1506 the Raja of Cochin allowed the Portuguese viceroy Francisco de Almeida to rebuild the church’s wooden buildings in stone and masonry.
St. Francis Church was originally built in 1503 and is one of the oldest European churches in India.
Where Vasco da Gama Was Buried for 14 years: A Visit to St. Francis Church in Fort Kochi
St. Francis Church, Fort Kochi (built 1503): Vasco da Gama buried here 14 years (1524–1538). Portuguese → Dutch → British layers. Doop Book (1751–1804), punkah fans, palm-leaf deed. Free entry, 30–45 min visit.
Guides
3
Readings
3
Events
2
Drawn from OpenStreetMap, by its contributors.
Is this page useful?
Thank you for your feedback.
That did not send. Please try again in a moment.