"Built by the first Portuguese viceroy, Francesco de Almeida, in 1505.When the Dutch conquered Cochin in 1663, they ruined all Catholic establishments except this cathedral and the church of St. Francis. In those days, the Santa Cruz Cathedral was used as an armory. It was destroyed in 1795, after the British took over the city. Only an elaborate granite pillar remained. The pillar is displayed on the southeastern corner of the present Basilica.
The new, present cathedral was sanctified in 1905. Recognizing its historic significance, Pope John Paul II raised the status of Santa Cruz Cathedral to a Basilica in 1984.
Santa Cruz is one of the eight Basilicas in India. In 2004, this cathedral completed its five centuries of existence. The architecture is a blend of the Indo-European and the gothic style. Italian paintings dating from the time of the original foundation of the church adorn the interiors."
- excerpted from http://www.cochin.org.uk/religious-places/santa-cruz-cathedral.html
And here's St. Francis Church, which, according to Wikipedia, is "the oldest European church in India. It was constructed in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars. Sometimes, this church is also referred as St. Francis Xavier's Church. Vasco da Gama (commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India) was buried here, but his mortal remains were returned to Portugal. The original headstone is still kept there."
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