Opposite the Se Cathedral, beyond the road is
the large and beautiful church of St. Cajetan
built of laterite blocks, which were lime plastered.
The façade, having two towers on either
side to serve as belfry, has Corinthian columns
and pilasters supporting a pediment, and four
niches in which are kept the statues of the apostles.
The main body of the church is Greek cross on
plan internally and oblong externally, with a
nave ending in an apse and aisles marked by four
massive piers faced by Corinthian pilasters. These
piers also form the base for supporting, at the
crossing, a circular dome that rests on a drum
and was crowned by a lantern.

The ribbed vaults of the nave and aisles are of
varying height and are coffered with different
floral designs. The two-ocatgonal rooms having
domical roofs on either side of the main altar
serves as the sacristy.
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There are six altars besides the main one, which
is dedicated to our lady of divine providence.
These altars are profusely carved and gilded in
Baroque style with twisted shafts and figures
of angles dominating in each. The altars also
have paintings on canvas of the Italian school,
some depicting scenes from the life of St. Cajetan.
The niches running along the sides of the vault
have wooden statues of saints.
The three altars on the left side, as one enters,
are dedicated to the Holy family, Our Lady of
Piety and St. Clare, while to the left are those
of St. John, St. Cajetan and St. Agnes. There
is a decorated wooden pulpit projecting from one
of the piers. In the crossing is a square raised
platform, which serves as a pulpit.
There is a tank or a well beneath it that has
led to many conjectures. Some regard that the
platform covers the holy tank of a Hindu temple
that once existed here, while others explain that
the water reservoir at the centre of the building
was deliberately planned by the architect to afford
greater stability to the structure.
This church, which is modelled on the original
design of St. Peter's Church in Rome, is architecturally
Corinthian both externally and internally while
the gilded altars with rich carvings are in baroque
style.
The church was built by Italian friars of the
Order of Theatines who were sent by the Pope Urban
III to preach Christianity in the kingdom of Golconda.
As they were not permitted to work there they
settled down in Goa in 1640. They obtained the
site in 1655 by a Royal order and the church was
built in the 17th century.
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