Once considered the Rome of the East, Old Goa today is a quiet, charming settlement, away from the clamour of Panaji, the current capital city. In its heyday Old Goa had over three hundred churches and rivalled the Portuguese capital Lisbon in its splendour. The Portuguese abandoned it in 1843 after a series of attacks of the plague and malaria decimated the population.
Remnants of the grandeur of the erstwhile capital of the Portuguese Empire in India can be seen in Old Goa – from the unique façade of the Se Cathedral to the Church of St. Cajetan, modelled after the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. It was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO and parts of it are presently under renovation. |
