The funerary monument of Saint Francis Xavier in the professed house of the Good Jesus of Goa

A deep look at the funeral monument of Saint Francis Xavier at the Casa Professa do Bom Jesus de Goa. Pedro Dias introduces readers, in a detailed and appealing narrative, to the unique funeral monument of the chapel of the Casa Professa do Bom Jesus de Goa, where the body of Saint Francis Xavier is laid to rest. Known as “the Apostle of the Indies,” the author considers the saint evangelizer of the Society of Jesus “one of the central figures of the Portuguese mission in all the overseas territory assigned to Portugal by the division established by the Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, and by the establishment of the Portuguese Patronage.” Pedro Dias provides a brief presentation of the life and legend of Saint Francis Xavier, not forgetting the long process from his death to the date of beatification in 1619, mentioning how “he is still venerated by Christians, Muslims, and Hindus, in Old Goa, where his body rests, in a sumptuous chapel that is part of the Jesuit complex of the Casa Professa do Bom Jesus.” This publication, richly illustrated, includes a thorough study about the design and the valuable artistic collection of the chapel of Saint Francis Xavier, with particular emphasis on the funeral monument, executed in Italy and later transported to Goa, “divided into sixty-five crates.” An edition produced with the support of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa.

Author: Pedro Dias

Year of publication: 2010
Publisher: G.C. - Gráfica de Coimbra
ISBN: 9789726035015