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Not far to the west of the Basilica of the Bom Jesus is the
Holy Hill at the extremity of which is the Church of Our Lady of the
Rosary. Built of laterite and plastered with lime mortar, Goa" ALIGN="right"
WIDTH="240" HEIGHT="223" BORDER="0">Not
far to the west of the
Basilica
of the Bom Jesus is the Holy Hill at the extremity of which is the
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. Built of laterite and plastered with
lime mortar, it has a two-storeyed portico. The portico as well as the façade
of the church has rounded towers on either side with the cross on top. The
roof of the church is tiled, supported by wooden rafters.
The Chapels And Altars
There are two chapels and three altars. The main altar is dedicated to
our Lady of the Rosary. The church, with windows near the roof and with
rounded towers giving an impression of a fortress church, is Manuline in
style though Gothic influence can be seen in the rib-vault at the portico.
Cenotaph Of Dona Catarina
To the right of the main altar is a marble cenotaph commemorating Dona
Catarina whose marriage with Viceroy Garcia De Sa was performed by St.
Francis Xavier. The cenotaph slightly projecting from the wall is
artistically decorated with carved miniature pillars and inscriptions in
Portuguese and has a triangular pediment crowned by a shell moulding. The
foliage and other decorations emanating from a vase closely resemble those
on the tombs of Gujarat, thus suggesting influence of a regional
art-style.
This votive chapel was built in fulfilment of a vow taken by Afonso de
Albuquerque while reviewing the battle between his forces and those of the
Bijapur sultan from the same spot, on which the church stands. The vow,
however, could be fulfilled only after his death, since this church was
built in 1544-49.