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“Reis Magos” is Portuguese for the Three Magi, otherwise known as the Three Wise Men. Like these esteemed gentlemen, in order to reach this church one must stray off the beaten path. The little hamlet of Reis Magos, is the home of not one, but two famous landmarks, the Reis Magos Church and the Reis Magos fort. Located on the banks of the river Mandovi, the sparkling white façade of this church is easily visible from the opposite banks. To reach it, however, one must turn off the road leading to the tourist hotspots of Calangute and Baga. A little turn just past the Verem Bazaar past the Hindu tree shrine will lead you to this church.Notwithstanding its slightly out of the way location, this church was once the residence of all Catholic Dignitaries and also a Mission Centre of the Franciscan order.

Claim to fame : It was the first church to be built in the Bardez Taluka, and posseses a multi-coloured wood relief of the Magi. It is also one of only three places in Goa which celebrates the Epiphany (Feast of the Three Kings) with processions and re-enactments.

Must View

• Bas relief lions at the base of the steps showing Hindu influences in Portuguese architecture.
• Shrine to Our Lady of Health, built in 1510 to commemorate the Portuguese victory that won them Bardez.
• Carving of the Three Magi bearing their gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh for the Holy Babe.
• Tomb of Dom Luis de Ataide, the famous Portuguese Viceroy
  Dom Luis de Ataide, was a famous Portuguese warrior, who according to legend, accomplished the great feat in 1570, of holding at bay an army of 100,000 men and 2000 elephants for ten months, with a battalion of just 7000 men.

History, Construction and Architecture

The Reis Magos church was constructed in 1555 by the Franciscan Friars and was one of the earliest churches built in Goa. It also has the distinction of being the first to be built in the Bardez Taluka.Although the church was built in 1555, the entire interior was redone in 1771, and the towers were added around the year 1776. The church itself sits atop a graceful flight of steps at the base of which can be seen two carved lions reminiscent of Vijaynagar temple architecture.The length of the church runs along the Mandovi river. The breadth of the church has along it five doorways and Corinthian columns dividing the compartments of the façade. The church also displays a high, carved gable, decorated with scroll work and given added majesty by the presence of the Royal Insignia.Near the base of the steps is a small shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Health. This was erected on the spot to commemorate the victory of Afonso de Albuquerque over the outpost in 1510.