Santacruz Cathedral

500-year-old Kottappalli is at Fort Kochi, Kerala. Centuries before some Franciscan missionaries from Portugal came to Kochi. The king of Kochi welcomed them, but the Zamorins opposed. The Portuguese helped the king to defeat the Zamorins. In return the king gave enough space to build a fort and a church for the Portuguese. Thus a fort and a church were constructed using wood and stone. In November 1503 the fort and church were blessed and named Santacruz. The church was called Kottappalli by the natives. In 1505 it was rebuilt with stone and marble. After 1663 when the Dutch invaded Kochi, they used the church as their armoury. In 1903 Bishop Dom John Gomes Fereiera re-constructed it as a Cathedral. In 1984 the Santacruz Cathedral was raised to a Basilica.