Church of St Augustine (Ruins)

The ruins of the Church of St Augustine stand on Holy Hill and are among the most atmospheric monuments in Goa. Founded in 1572 by Augustinian monks, the church was once enormous — its nave was 46 metres long. Abandoned in 1835 following the suppression of religious orders by the liberal Portuguese government, it fell apart progressively through the 19th and 20th centuries until only the facade tower remained.

The ruin is now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and is being partially stabilised. Climbing to it involves a short walk up Holy Hill from the main road. The tower is visible from across the river and gives a dramatic sense of how much of Old Goa has been lost to time and neglect.

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A story
At its completion in 1602, the Church of St Augustine was one of the largest churches in Asia, with eight chapels, four towers, and a convent that housed over 200 Augustinian monks. The church was abandoned when the Augustinian order was expelled from Goa by the Portuguese government in 1835. Without maintenance, the roof collapsed within a generation, then the towers. What stands now — one massive 46-metre tower — is one-third of the original structure.