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Kerala Kaumudi Online
Thursday, 28 March 2024 11.05 PM IST

Vasco da Gama's tomb marks five centuries; historical commemoration of St.Francis church in Fort Kochi 

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Five centuries since Vasco da Gama, who discovered the sea route from Europe to India, was laid to rest in Fort Kochi St. Francis Church. It was also the first European shrine in India


The remains of the body buried inside this church in 1524 crossed the sea fourteen years later, but the tomb remains here as a permanent memorial. His remains were taken to Portugal by his fifth son, Pedro de Silva da Gama. The remains are now in the tomb of the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon. At the same time, many people including foreigners come to see the tomb in Kochi that has a lot of historical value.

Father Shinu, who is in charge of the church, said that the 500th-anniversary ceremonies will be decided after consulting with the Department of Archaeology. The heritage preservation of the church is done by the Department of Archeology but the administration is done by the CSI council. There are prayers on Sundays and special occasions.

Vasco da Gama died of malaria on his third visit to India after getting appointed as the governor of Portuguese India. The incident took place three months after he reached Kochi. It is estimated that he was 55-60 years of age at the time of death.

Historical shrine

After Vasco da Gama, Pedro Álvares Cabral and Alfonso de Albuquerque also came to Kerala. They built a fort in Kochi country with the permission of the king. This place was later called Fort Kochi

The first church and other buildings inside the fort were made of wood. In 1506, the king of Kochi permitted them to rebuild it using stone. In 1516, the new church was dedicated to Saint Anthony. The wooden church is believed to have been built between 1500-1503 AD.

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