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St Augustine Tower is a landmark and a spectacular structure of height 46 metres. It was the belfry of the church. It is built of laterite and plastered with lime. This tower was the facade of a magnificent church and is one of the most spectacular monuments in Goa. Beauty Of St Augustine Tower The St Augustine Tower and Church were built in 1602 by the Augustinian friars who arrived in Goa in 1587. The church had eighty richly carved chapels and four altars. It also had a convent with numerous cells attached to it. The construction of this church was completed somewhere between 1597 and 1602. It took nearly 400 years to complete the tower and the church along with the convent. The name of the designer of this magnificent piece is still unknown. However, it is believed that he is an Italian. Something About St Augustine Tower St Augustine Tower was the result of combined efforts of twelve Augustian Friars. They had started to build the church on the Holy Hill near Old Goa. However, when the Portuguese government issued a ban against them, they had to abandon the church and the convent besides it. Both the church and the convent are ruined now. The facade and half of the tower fell in 1931 and in 1938 some more parts gave way. After being uninhabited by the founders, the convent was used for charity work by the institution of the Misericordia for quite a while. The vault collapsed on 8 September 1842 due to prolonged neglect. The Government then sold the materials of the remains of the church in 1843 and has maintained the few ruins till today
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