St. Francis Church, European church in Fort Kochi, India

St. Francis Church is a stone building in Fort Kochi with a pale yellow facade, a curved gable topped by a small white bell tower, and two pointed pinnacles flanking the roofline. Its front has two tall windows with dark wooden shutters, and a dark stone monument with a carved emblem stands between them in a fenced grassy plot.

The Portuguese built a wooden church inside Fort Emmanuel in 1503, dedicated to St. Bartholomew. In 1506 the Raja of Cochin allowed viceroy Francisco de Almeida to rebuild it in stone and masonry; a new church was dedicated to St. Anthony in 1516. The Dutch took Kochi in 1663, demolished other churches but kept this one, and in 1804 handed it to the Anglicans.

The church shows how different colonial powers left their mark on the building and its interior design. You can observe Portuguese, Dutch, and British influences in the decorations and structural details.

You can reach the church by walking through the narrow lanes of Fort Kochi and taking time to explore the surrounding area. The building is easy to locate and keeps regular visiting hours throughout the week.

Explorer Vasco da Gama was originally buried in the church, though his remains were moved to Lisbon years later. This connection links the place to one of the great voyages of European exploration.