Church of St. Cajetan
This stately 17th-century Catholic church features a facade resembling St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
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.
St. Cajetan Church also known as the Church of Divine Providence is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman located in Old Goa. The church was completed in 1661 and is part of the World Heritage Site, Churches and convents of Goa.
If you plan to visit Old Goa, do not miss out on the Church of St Francis of Assisi. Built in the 16th century and renovated in the 17th, the church is a unique mix of different architectural styles, namely the older Portuguese-Manueline and later Tuscan styles. The church lies a little ways west of Se Cathedral and was once the palace of the Archbishop. The convent has since turned into an archaeological museum that is well worth a visit, and the church still stands tall, a blend of centuries-old architecture and intricate carvings. Franciscan monks built the original building back in 1521. More elements were added over the decades, but the complex started decaying.
History
Three Italian priests of the Theatine order arrived in India to preach Christianity in 1639. In 1643, they began work on a hospital, but were banished by the Portuguese viceroy Filipe Mascarenhas. The leader of the Italian priests, Pedro Avitabili however went to Portugal and convinced king John IV of Portugal that their working with the Portuguese priests in Goa would be in the interests of Christianity. The king permitted the construction of the hospital in 1650, and in 1655 they also managed to obtain permission for setting up the church and a small convent near it. The church's construction was under the supervision of Italian architects, Carlo Ferrarini and Francesco Maria Milazzo.
The church is considered to have been modeled on the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.Seventeenth century travelers Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri and Pietro Della Valle have also likened the church to the Sant'Andrea della Valle, which is the seat of the Theatine order.
The main body of St. Cajetan Church forms a Greek cross on plan internally with the body of the church being divided into a nave and two aisles. There are three altars on each side of the main altar. The three altars on the left side are dedicated to the Holy Family, Our Lady of Piety and St. Clare, while to the right are those of St. John, St. Cajetan and St. Agnes. These altars are carved and gilded in Baroque style like almost all churches in Goa with twisted shafts and figures of angles dominating in each and also have paintings depicting scenes from the life of St. Cajetan with Italian school influence. The church also has 4 piers that form the base for supporting a circular dome that rests on a drum and was crowned by a lantern. At the base of the dome is an inscription from Matthews Gospel.