From the archive record
Inside view of St. Francis Church. One can see interiors of the church. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the church on 17th October 1997. Vasca da Gama was buried in Fort Kochi. Vasca da Gama died on the christmas eve on the year 1524 A.D.at Cochin. St. Francis CSI Church, in Fort Kochi (aka. Fort Cochin), originally built in 1503, is the oldest European church in India and has great historical significance as a mute witness to the European colonial struggle in the subcontinent. The Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, died in Kochi in 1524 when he was on his third visit to India. His body was originally buried in this church, but after fourteen years his remains were removed to Lisbon. Vasco da Gama, who discovered the sea route from Europe to India, landed at Kappad near Kozhikode (