RUINS OF ST. AUGUSTINE'S TOWER IN GOA
Built in 1602, the only ruin of the Church of St. Augustine
on the Holy Hill at Old Goa near the Nunnery is a lofty 46-metre
high tower defying the torrential rains. The tower is one
of the four of St. Augustine Church that once stood there.
There were eight richly adorned chapels and four altars, and
a convent with numerous cells and artistic columns attached
to the church.
The Church when intact was perhaps the biggest in Goa. With
the religious suppression in 1835, the Augustinians deserted
the church and the convent. The latter was used for some time
by the charitable institution of the Misericordia. The buildings
fell into neglect resulting in the collapse of the vault on
8 September 1842. The Government appropriated the property
selling the materials the following year. The façade
and half of the tower fell in 1931 and some more parts of
it collapsed in 1938.
Location: Holy Hill, Old Goa, Panjim, Goa
Founded By: Augustinian Friars
Origin: 1602
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