Arch of The Viceroys

The Arch of the Viceroys (Arco dos Vice-Reis), also known as Viceroy's Arch, was erected in 1599 in Goa, India, by Viceroy Francisco da Gama. It was erected to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India in 1498. The arch was located near the Mandovi River. It acted as a ceremonial gate for Portuguese viceroys entering their capital of Portuguese India, the City of Goa. It is constructed with black laterite stone and stands at 12 meters tall with a statue of Vasco da Gama above the key stone. It was one of the ancient gates to the fortified city. On these fortifications was situated the palace of the fortress or the Vice-Reis palace, a lofty edifice that lied directly above this arch. The fortifications along with the palace fell into ruins following the abandonment of the city, and were demolished during the late 1820’s. Today nothing hints at the presence of that magnificent edifice, as is the case of most civil buildings in the city. The arch collapsed in 1948 and was rebuilt in 1954. It is now guarded by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as a national treasure and is located alongside Old Goa’s World Heritage Site with churches as part of Monument of National Importance in Goa.

Monument data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).