City: Kochi State: Kerala Location: South India Year of Construction: 1558 AD Type of Construction: Medieval Type of Building: Church Religion: Christianity Accomodation: Accomodations are easily available in the hotels and lodges in Cochin. Accesibility: Cochin is very well connected to the major Indian cities by air, rail and road. The Santa Cruz Basilica is a historic church that was built by the Portuguese.
The church was elevated to a cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558 AD. In 1795 AD, it fell into the hands of the British when they took over Cochin and was demolished. About a hundred years later, Bishop Dom Gomez Ferreira commissioned a new building at the same site in 1887 AD. The church was proclaimed a Basilica in 1984 by Pope John Paul II.