St Francis Church

This church, which now belongs to the Church of South India Council, was built by explorer Vasco da Gama in 1503 within the fort they first constructed. It was a wooden structure, and was dedicated to St Bartholomew.

It was rebuilt by Portuguese Franciscan friars and completed in 1516. It was then dedicated to St Anthony. As Vasco da Gama died in Cochin, his remains were buried in a tomb inside the church for about 14 years till his remains were moved to Vidigueira in Portugal in 1539.

It passed into the hands of the Protestant Dutch in 1663. Later, in 1804, the Dutch handed over the church to the British, who had taken over Kochi in 1795. The British transferred it to the CSI Council when they left the country. As of 1923 the church is a protected monument and now comes under the Archaeological Survey of India. It is open on weekdays for visitors.

The church has beautiful interiors, is very airy and spacious. Lots of foreigners attend church service on Sundays and important days such as New Year, Christmas and Easter. There are hand-operated fans and old painted window panes inside the church. You can also find engraved tombs of Portuguese and Dutch soldiers within the church. There’s a cenotaph set up in 1920 in memory of Kochi’s inhabitants who were victims of WWI.