St. Francis Church, Kerala
This centuries-old church is located at Fort Kochi and was originally constructed entirely of timber and later of stone masonry. In 1779, the church building was restored by the Protestant Dutch and was then converted by the British to an Anglican church in 1795. At present, it is governed by the Church of South India and is a must visit attraction during your Kerala Holiday.
As for its architecture, the St. Francis Church has a lofty structure that has a gabled timber-framed roof that is covered with tiles and an interior that offers a magnificent view with two-stepped pinnacles that crown the top of its chancel roof, with a plain arched opening dividing the chancel from the nave.
There is also a stepped pinnacle that is built on both sides of its façade, which impressively retains the old world charm and magnificence that you can see on every element of the building, such as the wood pulpit decorated with carvings, baptism platform, confessional, offering and the book rests.
Other interesting features of the church include a cenotaph nestled at the center of its lawn that is dedicated to the Kochiites who gave their lives in World War I and several inscriptions on leaves that depict the era and past life of the Dutch and Portuguese here.
Vasco da Gama was initially buried in this church in 1524 before his remains were moved to Lisbon, Portugal, though his tombstone still remains.