A massive, three-year conservation effort has restored a centuries-old church in Goa, reports the Times of India.

Crumbling from neglect for over three decades, the unique monument, considered one of the biggest churches in Asia, has been brought back to life through the project supported by the state government.

“The church has now received a new lease of life,” says R C Aggarwal, principal director, Indian national trust for art and culture (INTACH). “If this living church is maintained well, nothing can happen to it for centuries,” he added.

The main thrust of the project was structural rehabilitation of the monument and conservation of its woodwork, including five altars, pulpit and 27 sculptures.

“Its neglect after the last conservation effort in the mid-seventies was showing badly,” Ketak Nachinolkar, consultant conservation architect to INTACH, said.

The deterioration had reached a critical level and conservationists considered re-strengthening and consolidating the structure a challenging task. “It was important to save the structure as whatever was precarious in the edifice was hanging out of balance,” Nachinolkar said.

The original layer of the altar and sculptures, as it looked about 400 years ago, has been exposed.

Father Lourdinho Pereira, the parish priest, said: “The church looks transformed after the conservation.”

FULL STORY

Conservation resurrects St Anne’s church (Times of India)

LINKS

Church of St. Anne, Talaulim (Wikipedia)

Church of St. Anne (TravelGoGoa.com)

PHOTO CREDIT AND LINK

Jesuits in India