India, Old Goa “Basilica of Bon Jesus (Basilica of the Merciful Jesus). Location of the Basilica of Jesus on the map

Basilica of Bon Jesus (Basilica of the Merciful Jesus) is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Goa and the first church in India to receive the status of a Minor Basilica. It is located in the historical center of Old Goa - the former capital of Portuguese India. The church was erected by the Jesuit Order in 1594-1605; on May 15, 1605, the consecration of the temple took place, which was performed by Alex de Menezes, Archbishop and Viceroy of Goa. The church was built in Baroque style and is considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in India. The Basilica of Bon Jesus is built of dark red granite and is the only temple in Old Goa whose façade is not covered with plaster. In plan, the basilica has the shape of a cross, the height of the temple is 18.5 meters, length - 56 meters, width - 17 meters. The basilica has a nave, transept, choir, two chapels, a sacristy, a belfry and a courtyard surrounded by a covered arched gallery. Adjacent to the basilica is a prayer house built by the Jesuits in 1585-1589. The main entrance of the church is decorated with Corinthian columns, the facade is decorated with decorative windows, cornices, stucco moldings and a large pediment on which there is a bas-relief with the coat of arms of the Society of Jesus. The interior of the temple is decorated in mosaic-Corinthian style. The floor of the church is made of marble and inlaid with precious stones. The high altar, located at the end of the nave, has a huge gilded altarpiece with statues of the infant Jesus and St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order. On either side of the main altar are the altar of Our Lady of Hope and the altar of St. Michael. The church has two chapels - on the north side of the transept is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, on its south side is the chapel of St Francis Xavier. In it, in a silver reliquary donated to the basilica in 1696 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de' Medici, the relics of St. Francis Xavier, one of the founders of the Society of Jesus and the first missionary in the history of the Jesuit Order, are kept. Francis Xavier died in 1552 on the Chinese island of Shangchuan, where he was buried. On March 22, 1553, his remains were reburied in St. Paul's Church in Malacca, and on December 11, 1553, they were taken to the Basilica of Bon Jesus, where they remain to this day. The Chapel of Francis Xavier is decorated with gilded twisted columns, wooden carvings and paintings depicting scenes from the life of the saint. Once every ten years, on the anniversary of the death of the saint, the incorruptible relics of Francis Xavier are exhibited for public viewing and veneration (they were last exhibited in 2014). These days, the Basilica of Bon Jesus is visited by thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. In the sacristy of the church, in an iron chest, is kept the Golden Rose, donated to the Basilica of Bon Jesus by Pope Pius XII in 1953. On the top floor of the basilica there is an art gallery displaying 36 paintings and 14 drawings on biblical themes, painted between 1973 and 1976 by the surrealist artist Dom Martin. In 1986, the Basilica of Bon Jesus, part of the "churches and monasteries of Old Goa", was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The trading port of Ila on the site of the city of Old Goa was founded during the Hindu Empire of Vijayanagara in the 1st half of the 15th century, and in 1469 these lands became part of the Bahmanid Sultanate. After the collapse of the Bahmanid state, this territory came under the control of the Sultan of Bijapur, Yusuf Adil Shah, in 1489, who made the city the second capital, built palaces, mosques and surrounded it with a fortress wall.
By the time the Portuguese arrived, the port was thriving. New ships were launched from the shipyards several times a year, and there was brisk trade in the markets with pilgrims waiting to sail to Mecca. The Sultan even wanted to move the capital here from Bijapur, but the Europeans did not allow his plans to come true.
In 1510, the Portuguese conqueror Duke Alfonso de Albuquerque twice (in February and November) took Old Goa by storm from the viceroy of the Bijapur Sultan, but only a change of rulers of Bijapur allowed the Portuguese to gain a foothold here and establish a trading post. Thanks to the efforts of newcomers from Europe, the city began to rapidly change its appearance: the mosques were destroyed, and Catholic churches and monasteries were built in their place. Thus, in practice, the medieval maxim “the religion of the king is the religion of his subjects” was confirmed.

The period from the 2nd half of the 16th century to the 1st quarter of the 17th century is called the Golden Goa period, the golden period of Portuguese trade in India. Every year, at least a thousand ships moored at the piers, bringing more and more European settlers and taking on board cargo of spices and other colonial goods. The population of the city reached 200 thousand people, and even sailors who had seen a lot compared the city, where the West met the East, with Lisbon itself: “Quem viu Goa, excusa de ver Lisboa” (port. – “Those who have seen Goa do not have to look Lisbon").
By the end of the 17th century, the architectural ensemble of this Rome of the East was decorated with 38 monasteries, 31 churches, 26 large and more than 40 small chapels.

Historian and accomplished travel writer William Dalrymple wrote in his 1998 book The Age of Kali: “At first, Old Goa was a grim fortress, standing at the center of a chain of 50 heavily armed bastions along the western coast of India. But by 1600, the process of turning conquistadors into dandies had begun, and Old Goa from a city of fortified bastions had turned into a thriving metropolis, the capital of the vast Portuguese Empire in the East. Among the mangroves grew the walls and towers of the palaces of the viceroys, the elegant mansions of the city nobility, and exquisite baroque churches and monasteries.”
With easy wealth came a softening of morals, the dandies were not interested in war, instead they concentrated their efforts on their seraglios. Old Goa became known more for its local whores than for its guns or cathedrals. According to the records of the Goan Royal Hospital, in the first quarter of the 17th century, five hundred Portuguese died a year from syphilis and “intemperate relations.” Although church authorities issued edicts damning the sexual promiscuity of married women, “who got their husbands drunk so that they could more easily enjoy their lovers,” this did not stop even the clergy themselves from maintaining entire harems of dark-skinned slaves of God.
The consequence of this was that the Portuguese lost their monopoly on trade with India in the 17th century; they were first supplanted by the Dutch, who blockaded Goa with warships in 1638, and a century later by the British. Golden Goa gradually began to decline: people became poor, there was not enough money to drain the surrounding swamps, malaria, then cholera, began to rage in overpopulated areas. Eventually, due to epidemics in the 1760s. mass migration began to the new capital of Panaji, located closer to the sea. To build a new city, they began to dismantle the old one, so the prefix “Golden” was replaced by “Old”. From the former rule of the Portuguese colonialists in Old Goa, only the ruins of cathedrals, churches and monasteries remained.

Today, Old Goa is an open-air museum city with an area of ​​about 5 square meters. km. with a population of 6,000 people. In 1986, UNESCO included the surviving monasteries and churches of Old Goa on the World Heritage List. In this List is the Basilica of Bom Jesus, in which the incorrupt relics of St. Francis Xavier rest.

Francis Xavier is considered by the Roman Catholic Church to be one of the most successful missionaries over the years. He did a great job of spreading Christianity in Asian countries and developed the foundations of the missionary methods of the Jesuit order. Xavier had the qualities of a great preacher (eloquence, persuasion and assertiveness), was a charismatic personality and saved many people by converting them to Christianity.
The future missionary was born in Castle Xavier (Spanish region of Navarre) on April 7, 1506 into an aristocratic Basque family. At the age of 19, Francis Xavier went to study at the University of Paris, where he received his licentiate degree in 1530. He continued to study theology and met Ignatius of Loyola. On August 15, 1534, in the chapel of Montmartre, Ignatius Loyola, together with Francis Xavier, Peter Faber, James Lainez, Alphonse Salmeron, Nicholas Alphonse Bobadilla and Simon Rodriguez, took an oath to devote their lives to God. This day is considered the founding of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit order).
In 1541, Pope Paul III sent Francis Xavier to Portuguese India as apostolic nuncio. During his 4 years in Goa, he founded many churches and monasteries and converted thousands of local residents to Christianity. At the same time, he was shocked by the carefree lifestyle of the conquistadors, denouncing them in his messages to the Holy Synod: “Many of them either left the remnants of their religiosity and morality in Europe, or became extremely deteriorated in the new environment and in the easy climate, adopting all the bad habits of their Muslim neighbors "
Francis Xavier persistently sent letters to Rome and Lisbon, in which he complained about the need to introduce the Inquisition in Goa, and his diligence was not in vain. The Inquisition on the peninsula was introduced in 1560, and the missionary himself went to preach and spread Christianity to Ceylon, Indonesia, Japan and China.

After his death on December 2, 1552, on the Chinese island of Shangchuan, the body of Francis Xavier was subjected to “unchristian torture”: he was buried, dug up again and transported to a new burial place. And every time the believers were amazed at the excellent preservation of his remains. They believed it was a divine miracle; others believed that the body was embalmed.
Very extreme views are expressed by the British traveler and diplomat Richard Burton: “Captain Hamilton, an old-fashioned merchant, compares the relics of the saint to a freshly slaughtered pig. In another place he calls them a tolerably made wax statue, which is needed to deceive simpletons, and absolutely does not believe the claims of the Jesuits that the amputated hand, which was sent to Rome at the time of Francis’s canonization, supposedly took a pen and dipped it in ink and brought out the Xavier in front of the Holy Synod of Cardinals.”
Francis Xavier was canonized by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622, at the same time as Ignatius of Loyola, and since 1637 his relics have resided in the sarcophagus of the Basilica of the Good Jesus.

The first stone of the foundation of the Basilica was laid on November 24, 1594 by the Archbishop of Goa and Primate of India Alexia di Menezes. The church was built and consecrated on May 15, 1605 by the Jesuits, then it was rebuilt after a fire in the 18th century. In 1759, when all the property of the Jesuit order was confiscated in favor of the Portuguese crown, the temple was not closed. In 1946, the church was the first in India to receive the status of a minor basilica - a title in Catholicism for special churches (1591 worldwide), awarded by the Pope.

The three-story main facade of the cruciform Basilica is decorated with columns of the Ionic, Doric and Corinthian orders. The columns and interior details are made of red basalt, which was brought from quarries located 300 km from Old Goa.

At the top of the façade is the emblem of the Jesuit Order with the letters IHS - an abbreviation of the name of Jesus - Iesus Hominum Salvator (Jesus the Savior of Humanity).

The plan of the Basilica is classic for Catholic churches, contrasting with it is the rich, gilded Baroque main altar dedicated to the Child Jesus.

The central place in the niche between the spiral (also called Solomon) columns is occupied by the image of the founder of the Jesuit order, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, protecting Jesus the child. Ignatius's eyes are turned upward towards the sun, where the letters IHS are also inscribed. Above the solar medallion is the Holy Trinity.

In the center of the nave is a bronze and gilded cenotaph (symbolic tomb) of Jeronimo Mascarenho, captain of the city of Cochin, who died in 1593, and bequeathed his property to the construction of the church.

In the transept on the right and left are the chapels of St. Michael the Archangel and the Virgin Mary of Hope.

In the south transept, decorated with twisted gilded columns and carved floral designs, is the chapel and tomb of the patron saint of Goy, St. Francis Xavier.

It took Italian sculptor Giovanni Foggini 10 years and several tons of marble and jasper to create a funerary monument worthy of the memory of one of the founders of the Jesuit order. The work was paid for by the Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de' Medici, who donated the sarcophagus to the church in 1698. In gratitude, the Jesuits gave him for eternal storage the pillow on which the saint’s incorruptible head rested.
The relics of Saint Francis Xavier are kept in a glass container placed in a silver reliquary with an ornate dome. The shrine itself is decorated with skillfully made copper plates depicting scenes from the life of the saint. In them, Xavier preaches, baptizes, converts to Christianity, and hides from the savages by swimming across the river. On one of the plates the saint is depicted on his deathbed.

From the tomb, a long corridor leads to the sacristy (sacristy in Catholic churches). Relics related to the life of Goencho Sahib (as the saint is called by Goan Catholics) are kept here. Among them is his silver coffin, closed with three locks, the keys of which are kept by the Governor of Goa, the Archbishop and the administrator of the Basilica.

After his canonization, the remains of St. Francis Xavier were put on public display each year on the day of his death. But at the beginning of the 18th century it was discovered that the relics were slightly damaged. However, the display of the relics continued to quell rumors that the Jesuits removed the relics after their expulsion by the Marquis of Pombal from Portugal and Goa in 1750. Since 1859, the relics began to be exhibited once every 10 years; since 1953, pilgrims were forbidden to touch the relics: they can only be viewed through the crystal lid of the coffin. This event will now happen on December 3, 2014.
Attached to the Basilica of the Good Jesus is the House of Confession (1585–1598), in which Jesuit missionaries were trained. From this two-story building with an open courtyard, built of laterite blocks, the monks went on missionary trips to Asian countries. A fire in 1663 caused significant damage to the House of Confession, but by 1783 it was rebuilt. Nowadays the priests' apartments are located here, and on the ground floor there is a gallery telling about the missionary activities of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order). ? 🐒 this is the evolution of city excursions. The VIP guide is a city dweller, he will show you the most unusual places and tell you urban legends, I tried it, it’s fire 🚀! Prices from 600 rub. - they will definitely please you 🤑

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It is part of the UNESCO heritage site group “Churches and Monasteries of Goa” and is one of the key centers of Catholic pilgrimage in India.

The basilica has become a center of pilgrimage for believers thanks to the shrine stored inside - the relics of Francis Xavier, one of the most revered Catholic saints. But touching the relics of the saint is not so easy - they are exhibited for veneration only once every 10 years. Christians believe that the relics are capable of healing serious illnesses and restoring health.

Opening hours

The Basilica of Jesus is a functioning temple. Masses are held in two languages:

• In Konkani language(official language of Goa): Monday to Saturday from 07:00 to 08:00, Sunday from 08:00 to 09:15.
• In English: every Sunday at 10:15 am.

The temple is open daily for tourist visits. Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 18:30, Sunday from 10:30 to 18:30. Local tourist guides are always on duty at the basilica, and for a low cost (about 100 Indian rupees) they will conduct an hour-long tour inside the temple and around the surrounding buildings.

History of the Basilica of Jesus

The missionary Francis Xavier, engaged in the promotion of the Catholic faith in Asia, died of fever back in 1552 on the island of Shangchuandao, heading to mainland China. The priest's body was buried in the Portuguese colony of Malacca. And, a year later, the body was exhumed - miraculously, it practically did not rot or decay. The remains of Francis were transported to another Portuguese colony - Goa and buried at the ancient church, the predecessor of Bom Jesus. Decades later, news of the miraculous incorruptible body reached the Pope. The Vatican decided to canonize the missionary. The canonization of Francis Xavier dates back to 1622.

The foundation of the church was laid in November 1594, and the consecration took place on May 15, 1605, by the Archbishop of the Goan colony Aleshia de Meneses. Initially, the church was the property of the Jesuit order. But in 1759, Portugal confiscated most of the order's possessions, as an exception allowing the continuation of services. After the Second World War, in 1946, the church was given the status of a minor basilica.

Architecture of the Church of Bom Jesus

Built from black granite (a fairly popular material in Goa), the Basilica of Jesus is a three-level church. The elegant and at the same time simple facade of the church is a mixture of styles. Undoubtedly, the predominant style is the Portuguese Baroque, so common in the former colonies of the empire. But in the exterior of the church there are also all three types of ancient columns: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian - just like in the famous Colosseum!

The monumental building amazes with its parameters: 19 meters in height, 55 meters in length and 17 meters in width.

The interior of the basilica is represented by gilded columns and frescoes telling the story of the life of Francis Xavier. The marble floor of the basilica is inlaid with semi-precious stones.

The Mausoleum of Francis Xavier was designed at the end of the 17th century by the Florentine master Giovanni Battista Foggini. The silver coffin is surrounded by wooden flowers, oil paintings with scenes of the saint’s deeds, and there is a statue of Francis right there.

At the main altar of the temple there is a statue of Ignatius de Loyola, the head of the Jesuit order. Outwardly, he is very similar to Jesus, with whom tourists confuse him. But Jesus is depicted at the feet of Ignatius, in his infant form. Above the statue there is an inscription (which you can often see in the temple in the form of an abbreviation): Iaeus Hominum Salvator, which is translated from Latin as “Jesus the Savior of Mankind.”

Art lovers will also enjoy the church - there is a contemporary art gallery inside. The entrance to it is an inconspicuous staircase near the sacristy. The exhibition consists of 36 paintings dedicated to biblical subjects, the painting of the Last Judgment is especially impressive.

The oldest building is the confessional, a very tiny building next to the basilica. After the blessing in this small building, the Jesuits left on their mission to various remote corners of Asia. The building, called at that time the “House of Acceptance into the Order,” was built in 1585.

How to get to the Basilica of Jesus in Goa

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is located in Old Goa, the former capital of the state. Regular buses from other cities and towns of Goa, including the capital, Panaji (25 km), arrive in the village throughout the day. The basilica is located 50 meters from the bus station, opposite the Church of Francis of Assisi.

Coordinates for independent travelers: 15.50095, 73.91129.

Basilica of Bon Jesus in Goa on Google Maps panoramas

Video: Basilica of Jesus in Old Goa, history and overview

Basilica of Jesus in Old Goa (India) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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Basilica of Bon Jesus, or Basilica of the Merciful Jesus, is perhaps the most famous and visited architectural landmark of Goa. It is located in the former capital of the state - Old Goa. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the temple has been a place of pilgrimage for several centuries. This is due not so much to the unusual architecture of the basilica, but to the fact that Francis Xavier, one of the most revered Catholic saints, is buried in the church. His miraculous relics are exhibited for veneration every 10 years.

A little history

The Spanish missionary Francis Xavier died of fever in 1552 on the island of Shangchuandao, before reaching the long-awaited shore of mainland China. Francis' body was interred in the Portuguese colony of Malacca. The remains exhumed a year later were practically unaffected by time; they were transported and buried in Goa. Word of the miracle quickly reached the Vatican, and Francis Xavier was canonized in 1622.

What to see

The Basilica of Jesus is a three-tiered church built of black granite. And despite the fact that many styles are mixed in the exterior of the temple (the most obvious: Ionic, Doric and Corinthian), it is distinguished by its simplicity and elegance.

In one of the aisles of the basilica, surrounded by gilded twisted columns and flowers carved from wood, stands a rectangular silver coffin with the relics of Francis Xavier. The Raku was made by the Florentine master Giovanni Battista Foggini in 1698. Oil paintings depicting scenes from the life of Francis hang here, and there is a statue of him. Under the roof and in several other places of the church there is the inscription “IHS”. This is the Latin abbreviation Iesus Hominum Salvator - Jesus, Savior of mankind.

The Basilica of Jesus houses a contemporary art gallery. You can get into it using the stairs near the sacristy. Of course, the 36 paintings presented here can hardly be called world masterpieces, but you should not miss the opportunity to get acquainted with them. All works are dedicated to biblical stories, and the most impressive is the Last Judgment.

Next to the basilica there is a small confessional building. The peculiarity of the structure is that it appeared several years before the temple itself. It’s hard to believe, but it was from this small building that Jesuit priests went on their dangerous missionary campaigns throughout Asia.

Practical information

Address: Old Goa, Old Goa Road. GPS coordinates: 15.500857, 73.911651.

Masses in Konkani are held from 7:00 to 8:00 from Monday to Saturday and from 8:00 to 9:15 on Sunday. Worship in English begins at 10:15 on Sunday.

Opening hours for tourists: Monday-Saturday: 9:00-18:30, Sunday: 10:30-18:30. There are always guides near the basilica who will give you a tour of the church and its surroundings for 100 INR. Prices on the page are for October 2018.

- a city that was the capital of the state at the beginning of its colonization by the Portuguese. "Bom Jesus" means "good" or "holy" Jesus, a phrase that was used to refer to the Christ child.

The basilica is famous, firstly, for the fact that mortals are buried here remains of Saint Francis Xavier, and secondly, by the fact that it is a world heritage site under the protection of UNESCO. It is considered one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in .

The first stone for the foundation of this church was laid 24 1594, and it was consecrated on 15 1605 by the Archbishop of Goa, Alexia de Menezes. The church belonged to the Jesuit order and managed to obtain permission to continue working even when most of the order's property was confiscated by Portugal in 1759. In 1946 its status was raised to a minor basilica.

Facade of the Basilica of Jesus

Three-tier facade Built from black granite in a combination of Ionic, Doric and Corinthian styles, it is simple and elegant. The main entrance, as well as two side entrances on either side, are framed by Corinthian columns supporting plinths.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is 56 meters long, 18.5 meters high and 17 meters wide (length from the facade).

Almost under the roof is written " HIS" are the first three letters of the name Jesus in Greek.

Interior decoration

The Corinthian style interior is laconic but impressive. Main altar is 16.5 meters high and 9 meters wide. On it is the baby Jesus, above whom stands a large statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, looking at a medallion with the inscription "HIS". On one side of it stands an altar dedicated to Our Lady of Hope, and on the other, dedicated to St. Michael.

Near the choir there are two chapels and a sacristy. The chapel to the right of the entrance is dedicated to St. Anthony, and the chapel to the left to St. Francis Xavier (there is a statue of him carved from wood). In the middle of the nave in the north wall is cenotaph(a tombstone-monument behind which there is no grave) of the benefactor of the basilica, Don Jeronimo Mascarenhas, who died in 1593, bequeathing the funds with which the church was built. On two columns supporting the choir hang tablets on which the date of the beginning of its construction and the date of consecration are written in Portuguese and Latin. The columns and some finishing elements are carved from basalt brought from the city of Basaim (modern Vasai) 300 kilometers to the south (near). Opposite the cenotaph, near the southern wall, is wooden pulpit with a canopy on which stand statues of Jesus, the four evangelists and the four fathers of this church. On the lower part of the pulpit are drawn seven figures who seem to support it on their shoulders.

In the transept on the south side there is a chapel with gilded twisted columns and flowers carved from wood, where stands a silver rectangular coffin containing the sacred remains of the body Francis Xavier. Wooden and oil paintings depicting scenes from his life also hang here and there is a silver statue of him.

House of Admission to the Order

The House of Admission to the Jesuit Order is a simple three-story laterite building that stands a few meters parallel to the basilica. It was completed in 1585, even before the construction of the temple began. Here the Jesuits planned missions to other Asian countries and it was thanks to him that the opportunity to build a basilica arose. The story goes that the Franciscans strongly resisted the construction and practically ensured that it was prohibited. However, on the night before the announcement of the Senate decision, two priests and one monk consecrated this house, turning it into a temporary church, and wrote “Jesus” above the door. From that moment on, no one tried to take this land away from the Jesuits and they were able to build the Basilica of Bom Jesus.

Part of the house of admission to the order was destroyed by fire in 1663, but restored in 1783. Now there is an art gallery here.

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Useful information about the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, India

Location:

Old Goa, opposite, 50 meters from the bus station

How to get there:

By taxi or motorcycle taxi from or to the nearest beaches.
By excursion or regular bus to Old Goa.

Address:

Old Goa Road, Velha, Goa, India
India, Goa, Velha district, Old Goa Road