St Francis Church, Kochi

St Francis Church, Kochi tickets: which one to buy

Saint Francis Church stands in Fort Kochi, the historic heart of Kochi in Kerala, southern India, a short walk from the Chinese fishing nets and Santa Cruz Basilica, and entry is free. It is the oldest European church in India and famous as the original burial place of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. The church belongs to the Church of South India, a Protestant church, and it is managed as a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Walking and cycling tours of Fort Kochi include it together with the Dutch Palace, the Jewish Synagogue, the spice market and the colonial streets. The church is open to visitors outside service times, and shoes may need to be removed. Visitors should dress modestly. Fort Kochi is easy to explore on foot or by bicycle. Bicycles can be rented from guesthouses and shops in Fort Kochi for a few rupees an hour.

Visiting St Francis Church, Kochi: what to see

The Portuguese built a wooden church here in 1503, soon after they arrived in Kochi, and replaced it with a stone church in the sixteenth century, dedicated to Saint Anthony. Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 during his third voyage to India, and he was buried in the church; fourteen years later his remains were taken back to Portugal, where they now rest in the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. His gravestone can still be seen in the church floor, marked by a railing. When the Dutch conquered Kochi in 1663, they converted the church to a Protestant church, and the British later dedicated it to Saint Francis.

The building has a simple facade with a stepped gable, and inside, the walls hold memorial tablets and gravestones of Dutch and British settlers. Large punkahs, cloth fans once operated by servants pulling ropes from outside, still hang from the ceiling. The wooden pews and the pulpit date from the colonial period, and the altar is simple and elegant. The memorial tablets include Dutch inscriptions from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. A plaque on the church wall records the history of Vasco da Gama's burial. The church grounds are shaded by old trees. The stepped gable facade became a model for other colonial buildings in Kerala. The punkahs are still in place, although electric fans now cool the church.

St Francis Church, Kochi opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, closed to sightseeing during Sunday services. Kochi has a tropical climate, with the most comfortable season from November to February; the south-west monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain. Mornings and late afternoons are the best times to walk around Fort Kochi.

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, an international art festival held every two years, brings exhibitions and visitors to the area from December to March. The Cochin Carnival at New Year fills the streets with parades. Allow about twenty minutes for the church, and walk to the Chinese fishing nets to watch them at work. Kathakali dance performances are held every evening at cultural centres in Fort Kochi, with make-up demonstrations beforehand.