The Se Cathedral in old goa is the largest church in India dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. It is the oldest and most celebrated religious buildings in Goa and also one of the largest churches in Asia.
The Se Cathedral was built to commemorate the victory of the Portugues under Alphonso de Albuquerque over a Muslim army, leading to the capture of the city of Goa in 1510. Since the day of the victory happened to be on the feast of Saint Catherine, the cathedral was dedicated to her.
It was commissioned by Governor George Cabral to be enlarged in 1552 on the remains of an earlier structure. The actual construction began in 1562 under the reign of King Don Sebastiao. The Cathedral was finally completed in 1619 and was consecrated in 1640.
It originally had two towers, but one collapsed in 1776 and was never rebuilt.
Se Cathedral also houses a baptismal font made in 1532 which was used by Saint Francis Xavier the patron saint of Goa, in order to baptize several Goan converts.
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