EnglishFranciscan Convent of the Holy Spirit
Daman [Damão/Damaun], Guzerate, India
Religious Architecture
The convent of the Franciscan Recollects disappeared in the 19th century so that its stones could be used to build the barracks behind the governor’s palace. It was apparently founded in 1565, according to Friar Paulo da Trindade, with the title of the Holy Spirit. The chancel, however, was redone and the church dedicated to the Mother of God in 1581. It had from 12 to 15 friars when the account was written in the 1630s. Félix Lopes has compiled information indicating that it was founded before 1564, perhaps in 1559. As usual in Franciscan foundations in the north, the convent had a large tower, which fell in 1886. It was located at an unknown site “on the right”, according to Moniz Júnior, possibly beside the chancel. The convent’s placement by the Sea Gate on the settlement’s perimeter made the tower one of the most conspicuous features of Daman’s skyline in the past.