Viceroy's Arch is among the monuments located in
Old Goa, the former capital of
Goa. It was built in 1597 by Viceroy Francisco da Gama, the grandson of Vasco da Gama. A small statue of Vasco Da Gama, fully dressed in royal uniform, is placed on the top of the arch, on the side facing
Mandovi River.
The original arch was destroyed in 1948 and rebuilt in 1954. A bronze statue of St Catherine (on the third tier) was omitted after the renovation. This statue is now displayed in a museum in the courtyard. All other statues are retained in their original position.
The arch is made of laterite stone with a granite (greenish) facade, which faces the river. Inscriptions inside the archway are related to Vasco Da Gama and King Dom Joao IV. A statue of a crowned woman standing on a ‘native’, symbolizes the ‘Christian victory over paganism’, is placed on the back of the archway. The road under the arch is known as Rua Direita, which leads to Main Square where most of the monuments exist nowadays.
