Kochi and Lisbon: The Two Graves of Vasco da Gama

Why Vasco da Gama has Two Graves in Two Different Countries

Updated April 2020

Kochi, Kerala

India

Kerala

We first visited Kochi, formerly called Cochin, Kerala's second largest city in 2009 (pre-blog days). I blogged about Kochi after our second visit in 2016, (click here) but this short post concerns only the Anglican church of St Francis.

Kochi is in Kerala in the south west of India

Church of St Francis, Kochi

Though firmly on the tourist route, St Francis it is not one of the city's most memorable sights. I took no external photographs in 2009, maybe because it is a plain building, but probably because the sun was in the wrong direction, and there is a huge lump of concrete by the gatepost. My 2016 effort suffers from both these problems, but it is no worse than the picture borrowed from Wikipedia that previously graced this spot.

St Francis' Church, Kochi (photo 2016)

India's first European church was built on this site by the Portuguese in 1506. That wooden construction was replaced by the present building ten years later. When the Dutch took Cochin in 1663 the church converted to Protestantism and then, after the British arrived in 1795, it became Anglican.

There is not a great deal to see inside, either.

Inside St Francis, Cochin (2009)

The long narrow pieces of material apparently dangling from two low beams are punkahs. In the days before air-conditioning, the punkah wallahs sat outside pulling on the ropes, which can be clearly seen, and the punkahs wafted a cooling breeze over the worshippers inside. Today it serves only as a reminder of past times.

Like many churches there is a visitors' book and the name above ours is that of Sir Peter de la Billière, Commander-in-chief of British forces in the 1990 Gulf War. He is the elderly gent with a military bearing and blue shirt at the far end of the church. The shambling non-military man in a blue shirt nearest the camera is me.

Vasco da Gama led the first expedition to sail from Europe to India via the Cape of Good Hope, landing at Calicut, (now called Kozhikode) a little north of Cochin, in 1498. He eventually made three voyages to India, opening up the trade route and establishing a Portuguese presence on the west coast. Some of his trading practises were indistinguishable from piracy, but he did India, and indeed the world, a great service in introducing the chili to the sub-continent. He died in Cochin in 1524 and was buried in this then rather new church.

Lynne by the grave of Vasco da Gama, Cochin (2009)

But we thought that we had seen the grave of Vasco da Gama before.

Lisbon

Torre de Belém

Portugal

Santa Maria de Belém was once a fishing village 6 km west of Lisbon, though it was long ago absorbed into the Portuguese capital's urban sprawl. It is most famous for being the home of the pastel de nata and for the Torre de Belém. Built beside the River Tagus about the time Vasco da Gama was in India, the tower was part of Lisbon's defences.

The Torre de Belém, Lisbon (2005)

The Jerónimos Monastery, Belém

The Jerónimos Monastery dates from the same period and is just a short walk away.

Jeronimos Monastery, Belém, Lisbon

It now contains the National Maritime Museum as a well as a church. Inside the church........

The Grave of Vasco da Gama, Belém

...is the grave of Vasco da Gama.

He was, it seems, buried in Cochin and then, fourteen years later, dug up and taken home to Lisbon. They did not want his body to fall into the hands of Hindus, Muslims or, worst of all, Protestants.

Vasco da Gama certainly got about, but in the end, one grave is enough for anyone.