Nossa Senhora do Rosario

On November 25, 1510, Portuguese troops attacked and sacked the Muslim capital of Goa starting a new age of European colonialism on the subcontinent. The vantage point that the Portuguese commander, Alfonso Albuquerque chose, was a hilltop overlooking the Muslim capital as well as the Mandovi river where his fleet was anchored. A church was soon built on the very spot to commemorate the victory. It was used by Saint Francis Xavier to preach the gospel before large crowds. It is said that the hilltop was one of his favorite places in Goa. Between 1544 and 1547 the church was rebuilt in the Manueline style. It is the only such example in Goa. There are visible Gothic influences, however, particularly in the rib-vault of the portico.