GOA
Houses the remains of St. Francis Xavier - shoulders and knees must be covered, enforced at the door.
Construction began in 1594 under Archbishop Dom Fr. Aleixo de Menezes and was completed in 1605, making it one of the earliest examples of Baroque architecture in India. The basilica houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary who died in 1552 off the coast of China; his body was brought to Goa in 1554 and is preserved in a silver casket crafted by Goan silversmiths in 1698. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 as part of the Churches and Convents of Goa, it is one of the few churches in Goa exempted from being whitewashed, preserving its original black basalt facade.
