St. Cajetan Church

Fast Facts

One of the most important tourist attractions of Goa, the beautiful church of St. Cajetan, lies about half a kilometer away to the north east of the Se Cathedral, one of the landmarks of Goa’s capital city, Panjim. Constructed in the purity of white, the church is one of the most respected shrines of India, besides being one of the biggest tourist attractions of Goa.

History

The history of the church dates back to the middle of the 17th century when it was built by the Italian friars of the Order of Theatines. Dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence, the church is named after the founder of the Theatine order, St. Cajetan, an important religious personality during the period of St Francis Xavier. The construction of the church was completed in 1661 after permission to build a church and a convent at the site was obtained in 1655.

Architecture

One of the main attractions of the church is the exquisite architecture that surrounds it. Modeled after the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, the church showcases a Corinthian style of architecture. Built of laterite blocks that covered with a plaster of lime, the church exhibits Corinthian columns and pilasters supporting a pediment, and four niches in which the statues of the apostles are kept.

The church consists of six alters, among which the main one is dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence. Besides these, the interiors of the church consists of wooden statutes of the various saints of Christianity as well as paintings and sculptures depicting various scenes from the life of St. Cajetan.

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