Tower of the Church of St. Augustine

Out of twenty brilliantly designed and beautiful Churches of Old Goa, only ten are remaining. The Tower of the Church of Saint Augustine is amongst those few remnants. This is one of the most loved tourist spots of Goa. The tower is 46 meters tall and had four floors. The façade served as a belfry and inside the church were four altars, eight chapels and a convent.

With the growing time the area, this structure turned into an abandoned property. But today there are many tourists who cross miles to spend some lovely time here and unfold the mystery of this place.

History:

The tower of the Church of St. Augustine is a 400 year old structure. The constructions began somewhere around 1597 and it took five years to get completed. It is believed that the architecture of the structure was Italian. The tower used to serve as a belfry, but with the growing time, attention it had, faded. And steadily the area got abandoned by 1842. The church got dilapidated, but the tower stood intact. The huge bell of the tower of the Church of Saint Augustine got transferred to The Church of Our Lady in Panjim. In 1931 the tower too collapsed, turning the whole area into a ruin. This ruin, today, is a major attraction of Goa.

Architecture:

Tower of the Church of Saint Augustine is one out of the four towers of the Church which survived. Though the architecture of the whole structure is unknown, but it is believed that he/she belonged to Italy.

The tower is built form laterite and is 46 meters tall. It had four floors and was intended to serve as a belfry. The Church on the other hand, had four altars and enough space for the choirs. The eight chapels of the church are believed to be excessively beautiful back in the time.

Location and Access:

The Tower of the Church of Saint Augustine is located atop holy hill in Old Goa. Holy hill is easily accessible by buses, taxis, ferry, scooters and bikes.