Santa Cruz Basilica

Built in 1505 by the Portuguese, this place happens to be the oldest church in India and a heritage site in all of Kerala. The interiors are done in an Indi-Gothic style and the main altar was painted by a famous Italian painter called Antonio Moscheni. The place was given the status of a cathedral by Pope John Paul IV in the year 1558. This church was the brainchild of Dom Francisco De Almeida in 1505 who was the first Portuguese Viceroy. He sought permission from the King of Kochi and thus the church was built. It gets its name from the date 3rd May 1505 when the foundation stone was laid and that this day happened to be celebrated as ‘the invention of the cross.’