St. Francis Church

Kochi: St. Francis Church

Address: Saint Francis Church Road, Fort Kochi, Kochi, Kerala 682001

Believed to be one of the oldest European churches in the subcontinent, Saint Francis Church was built in 1503. The church is famed for being the first resting place of the famous Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama who died in Kochi, on his third visit in 1524. Although his remains were then shifted to his native place in Lisbon after fourteen years from then, the original gravestone can still be seen here. This attracts a lot of foreign visitors. From the church, one can also see an enchanting view of the sea. In the month of April 1923, Saint Francis Church was declared as a protected monument under the protected monuments act of 1904 and is currently under the ASI(Archaeological Survey of India).