Britona’s parish church, Nossa Senhora de Penha de Franca, is a grand old dame, occupying a fine location at the confluence of the Mandovi and Mapusa Rivers, looking across to Chorao Island on one side and to the Ribandar Causeway on the other.
Nossa Senhora de Penha de Franca was a Spanish saint who, after one hair-raising voyage in which the sailors saved themselves from certain death by appealing to Nossa Senhora, became associated with seafarers, and thus was favoured by many of those who had survived the voyage to India.
The interior of the church is beautifully decorated, with a high-vaulted ceiling and a simple reredos embellished with painted scenes. This church is best visited in the morning and holds one service (in Konkani) on most days.
