St. Francis Church, Kochi

St. Francis Church in Fort Kochi is the oldest church built by Europeans in India, founded by the Portuguese in 1503. It began as a wooden structure inside the Portuguese fort and was rebuilt in stone in the early 16th century, and its plain whitewashed facade with a stepped gable is one of the landmarks of old Fort Kochi.

The explorer Vasco da Gama, who first reached India by sea in 1498, died in Kochi on his third voyage in 1524 and was buried in St. Francis Church. His remains were taken back to Portugal in 1539, but the original gravestone still marks the spot inside. When the Dutch took Kochi in 1663 they kept the church for Protestant worship, and it later passed to the British. Today St. Francis Church belongs to the Church of South India and is still an active parish, with services on Sundays.

What to see

• Vasco da Gama's original gravestone, on the south side of the nave
• The hand-pulled cloth punkahs, fans once worked by ropes from outside
• Dutch and Portuguese memorial tablets set into the walls
• The stepped gable facade, a model for later churches in India
• The shady green of Parade Ground and the old colonial bungalows around it

What to wear

St. Francis Church is a place of worship, so cover shoulders and knees and remove hats inside; a scarf or light shirt over a sleeveless top works well. Fort Kochi is hot and humid, so choose loose cotton and walking shoes, and carry an umbrella in the monsoon. Kerala's traditional dress is the kasavu saree with a gold border for women and the white mundu for men, and Kochi's Syrian Christian families wear the white chatta and mundu on feast days.

Local food to try

Fort Kochi's food reflects its layered history. Try appam with stew, a mild coconut curry brought to Kerala tables by Christian cooks, fish moilee, and karimeen pollichathu, pearl spot fish grilled in banana leaf. Kochi's Anglo-Indian and Syrian Christian kitchens are known for duck roast and beef fry. The cafes of Princess Street, a few minutes' walk away, serve these alongside coffee and cakes, and the fish stalls by the nets will cook fresh seafood.

Good to know

• Best time: October to March, in the morning before the heat
• Open daily; visiting is best avoided during Sunday morning services
• Free entry; donations welcome
• Allow 20 to 30 minutes
• In the heart of Fort Kochi, around 40 km or one and a half hours from Cochin International Airport
• Photography is generally allowed; stay quiet if prayers are under way

Nearby places

St. Francis Church is a few minutes' walk from the Chinese Fishing Nets and from Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica. For the Jewish side of Kochi's history, the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry is about 3 km away.