Old Goa - Today

CAPELA DA NOSSA SENHORA DO MONTE
(CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF MONTE)
On the eastern side of Old Goa, there is a bill where this Chapel was built soon after the reconquest of Goa. Adil Shah defended Goa with his artillery, from this hill where he was attacked by Afonso de Albuquerque. Like the hill called Monte Santo (where Albuquerque was posted at the time of reconquest) this also commands a beautiful picture of the surroundings. A long flight of stone stairs leads to the Chapel.

The Archaeological Commission placed here a marble slab in 1931 with the following inscription: AQVI POSTOU-SE A ARTIL-HARIA MAOMETANA CONTRA AFONSO DE ALBUQUER-QUE PARA RETOMAR GOA EM MAIO DE 1510 (The Moham-medan artillery was posted here against Afonso de Albuquerque in order to defend Goa in May of 1510). It is located near the site of Convent of S. Domingos. It was built in 1557. It was reconstructed subsequently. According to Pyrard de Laval, it was as big as a church. It has three altars and an attached residence. A Chaplain of the Cathedral was in charge of the Church and he lived there. He celebrated Mass during the Novena and the feast of Nossa Senhora do Monte and for 15 days during each month of summer and for 10 days during each month of Monsoon season. Later the Cathedral Chapter fixed two masses during each month besides the novena and the feast. This chapel was recently restored by Fundaçao Oriente.