About St. Augustine Tower, Old Goa
The Tower of the Church of St. Augustine is 400 years old. The construction began in 1597 and it continued till 1602. Unfortunately, the name of the designer remains unknown although it is assumed that the brilliant architect was from Italy. The tower is one of the four of St. Augustine Church that once stood there. There were eight richly adorned chapels and four altars, and a convent with numerous cells and artistic columns attached to the church. Continued neglect turned the church into a ruined structure around 1842. Though the church was almost destroyed, the facade remained intact. In 1871, the huge bell of the Tower of the Church of St. Augustine was transferred to the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Panjim where it remains and can be seen and heard today. Half of the tower collapsed in 1931 and today, travelers from all over the world get to see only a part of the once great tower.
