St. Cajetan Church, Panaji
About St. Cajetan Church
History
Three Italian priests of the Theatine order arrived in India to preach Christianity in 1639. In 1643, they began work on a hospital, but were banished by the Portuguese viceroy Filipe Mascarenhas. The leader of the Italian priests, Pedro Avitabili however went to Portugal and convinced king John IV of Portugal that their working with the Portuguese priests in Goa would be in the interests of Christianity. The king permitted the construction of the hospital in 1650, and in 1655 they also managed to obtain permission for setting up the church and a small convent near it. The church's construction was under the supervision of Italian architects, Carlo Ferrarini and Francesco Maria Milazzo.The church is considered to have been modeled on the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Seventeenth century travelers Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri and Pietro Della Valle have also likened the church to the Sant'Andrea della Valle, which is the seat of the Theatine order.