Palacio do Deao

PALACIO DO DEAO
QUEPEM, GOA

GOA – You just have to say the word and one starts dreaming of amazing beaches, palm lined roads through villages, palatial houses, good food and drink and a laid back people.

Palatial houses are numerous, however, with many of the owners moving away or finding it very difficult to maintain due to the expense and lack of staff they lie neglected and even abandoned and breaking down. They are in demand now though with shrewd businessmen seeing an opportunity to romanticize whatever history is attached to the house and turn it into a profitable tourist attraction.

One such palatial house is the PALACIO DO DEAO, owned by a couple with an equally impressive name Ruben and Celia Vasco da Gama.

This 213 years old mansion, built in 1787 blending elements of Hindu and Portuguese architecture was built by a Portuguese noble man, who was the Dean of the Church and founder of Quepem town. The house faces the Church he built and is on the banks of the Kushavati River.

He established, at his own expense, a public market, hospital, Church and other facilities for the benefit of the inhabitants, as inscribed on the pyramidal structure in the churchyard.

The Deao, Jose arrived in Goa in 1779 along with the Archbishop, Dom Frei de Santa Catarina, famously known as the barefooted friar, who died in the Palácio do Deão and whose mortal remains are in the Church of Quepem. He governed the archdiocese from July 1831 up to 1835.

In 1829, he presented the Palácio do Deão to the Viceroys of India-Portuguese, for their recreation, so that they may protect the estate and institutions he had founded. The Deão died in 1835, after spending 55 years in Goa, and is buried in the Se Cathedral.

The house has beautifully landscaped gardens supposedly as they looked then. They were known as the most beautiful pleasure gardens in Goa. They have features such as a pond, loggia, bird house, balustrades, and a belvedere.

It has been restored and opened for the public.

Visitors can enjoy Indo-Portuguese cuisine on the belvedere, overlooking the Kushavati River. Celia, the lady of the house personally oversees the cooking which is a pleasant mix of Goan and Portuguese. We enjoyed the 4 course meal on offer, cooked to perfection and the owners and staff ensured we were well taken care of.
After lunch we were given a tour of the house. The couple spent a good two years after buying the house, in Portugal and Goa, studying the history of Goa at the time this house was built. The furniture and all other artifacts belong to the period but are not originally from the house.

This house is unique in that its structure shows an adaptation to Indian customs. The chapel, at the entrance, reminds one of a Hindu altar. The rear of the house highlights another aspect linked to the Hindu vasary. Visitors can explore the house and garden, learn more about the history of Goa, make use of the facilities in the house, relax, read books from the library, check out a most amazing collection of stamps and coins of the period, play draughts/carom/chess in the games room or chat with their Goan hosts.

The owners say their main objective is to acquire more of these houses, preserve and restore them to their former glory for future generations to learn of their past.

MARIA FATIMA PAIS