PORTUGUESE HOUSES IN FONTAINHAS

Roosters on top of Portuguese houses in Goa

It is very easy to identify the Portuguese houses. All Portuguese houses have a bright coloured rooster on the top. Rooster is a national symbol of Portugal which symbolises honesty, integrity, trust and honour. Every Portuguese is supposed to have this on top of their houses to bring them good luck.

Statues of soldier on top of houses in Goa

Some houses in Goa have statues of soldiers on the top. This signifies that the house belonged to a freedom fighter.

Statues of soldiers on top of Portuguese houses in Goa

Oyster Shells windows in Portuguese houses in Goa

The houses have large ornamental windows made of timber that open in the streets or the veranda. The glass panes were replaced by oyster shells that were found extensively on beaches. The flat ones were shaped and slipped between grooved wooden battens to be installed into windows. Oyster shells kept the houses cool from the tropical heat of this region. The quality of light which passed through these openings gave the houses a very special ambiance.

Oyster Shells windows in Portuguese houses in Goa

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Patto Bridge

Patto Bridge The Patto bridge a historic monument built by the Portuguese is a small bridge in Panjim the capital city of Goa. The Patto bridge is the extension of the causeway known as Ponte de Linhares (‘ Ponte’ in Portuguese means Bridge ) that is about 3.2 kms long and is considered to be one of the longest bridge in South Asia. Also the oldest causeway of its kind it links Panaji with the Ribandar village. Architecture The Panjim side Patto Bridge is also a beautiful piece of architecture. The expertise of the Jesuits of the College of St. Paul (Collegio de Sao Paulo) in Old Goa was availed of in 1632 and the massive bridge, the longest and oldest in the whole East, was built on alluvial soil after stabilizing it with solid trunks of local timber known as “ zambo” or “jambo” (benth). T he bridge a fine piece of architecture with Roman style arches is built of laterite stone and the area around the bridge is known as Patto. The Patto Brid...

St. Clara's church

St. Clare Church, Assonora, Goa is called ‘Santa Clara Igreja em Assonora, Goa’ in Portuguese. St. Clare Church, Assonora, Goa is popularly called ‘The Assonora Church’ locally in Goa. The Assonora church was originally a chapel built in 1781. The Assonora Chapel was however burnt down several times by the Marathas and was rebuilt every time it was destroyed. The Assonora chapel was originally affiliated to the parish of Tivim to the St Christopher Church in Tivim. The Assonora Chapel was raised to the status of a Parish of St. Clare Church, Assonora on 18.10.1805.

SIRIDAO CHAPEL

SIRIDAO CHAPEL Siridao lies on the northern fringe of the ancient Gopakpattana port, which once covered coastal areas of Goa Velha and Agasaim. Ships from different parts of the world dropped anchor till a millennia ago at this teeming port. The quaint architecture of the Jesus of Nazareth chapel at Siridao has remained shrouded in obscurity, but a few are convinced the unusual dome-shaped structure holds a key to evidence of pre-Portuguese Christianity and a multicultural society in the area. Perched on the edge of a hillock with a panoramic view of Zuari bay, the centuries-old chapel appears to be an extension of a smaller dome-shaped original. The Jewish presence may have been wiped off during the inquisition in Goa from 1560 to 1812. Cave behind the Chapel The third statue stands faded and forlorn in an open area behind Siridao church. "The Portuguese Jews arrived in In...

Architect of portuguese era,goa

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