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Close to the ruins of the Convent of St. Augustine, in the direction of West, there stands the historical chapel dedicated to St. Anthony of Lisboa. This chapel was erected at the orders of Afonso de Albuquerque, the Conqueror of the City of Goa on the site on which Diogo Mendes de Vasconcelos, stood by on 25th November, 1510, with a body of 300 soldiers, ready to attack the Muslim City lying at the foot of the hill. |
The exact year of its erection cannot be ascertained. It is known, however, that Pero de Faria, bought a plot on the Holy Hill in 1526 and gave it to the sailors with an injunction that a chapel be built on it in honour of St. Anthony.
The Chapel , with its façade facing the east, looks like a tower of a fortress; on each side of the main door, you see a pelican feeding its young ones with its own blood - symbol of the Augustinian order; the same bird is shown on the main entrance door of the Convent of St. Monica.
In the beginning this Chapel was administered by the chapter of the Cathedral; then the administration was transferred to the Augustinians by the Archbishop, Alexio Menezes - issued on 19th June, 1606.
The Chapel has a vaulted chancel. A retable of St. Anthony adorns the main altar. The side altars were dedicated to Our Lady of Fever and Sts. Cosimo & Damian. The walls of the Chapel have four frescoes with the pictures of the five doctors of the Church. The painting of Our Lady of Fever carries a beautiful poem in two verses concerning the 'Spiritual fever' which, according to the poet, is more dangerous; he asks Our Lady that his spiritual health be restored.
