Opening Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, (closed on Sundays) , 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM(on Saturdays)
Prime Day & Hours: Monday-Friday, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration: 1-2 hours approximately
Tickets: Free entry
Nearest Railway Station: Ernakulam Junction railway station, 14 km away
Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport, 45 km away.
Nearest Bus Stop: Fort Kochi Bus Stand, 600 m away.
St. Francis Church in Kochi was built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan Friars alongside Pedro Alvarez Cabral. Originally, it was a simple wooden and mud structure within the Portuguese fort Kochi, dedicated to St. Bartholomew.Later modified by the Dutch in 1663, a communion table and a nearby cemetery was added to the structure. The church was handed to the Anglican Church in 1804, renovated in 1886, and finally came under the Church of South India in 1949.
It also boasts a lofty structure with a gabled timber-framed roof and stepped pinnacles, retaining its old-world charm. Inside, two pinnacles crown the chancel roof, and elements like the carved wooden pulpit, confessional, and baptism platform highlight its historic elegance. Inscriptions on leaves depict the era of the Portuguese and Dutch. Regular masses and rituals enhance the church’s spiritual ambiance, making it not only a place of worship but also one of the must-see places to visit in Kochi.
A cenotaph in the church lawn, built in 1920, honors Kochiites who died in World War I. The church also holds the burial spot of Vasco da Gama, whose remains were later moved to Portugal. The Doop Book, the Dutch baptism and marriage register is preserved here, attracting Dutch descendants tracing their roots.
