Santa Cruz Church - the Portuguese Legacy in Bangkok
Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was first built
the reign of King Taksin, a legacy of Thai-Portuguese relations
that date back to the 16th century.
Nestled among old houses on the river banks and newer
buildings inland, the reddish dome of the old Catholic church
is a prominent landmark on the Chao Phraya.
Descendants of the early Portuguese traders built the first
Santa Cruz Church in 1770 after the fall of Ayutthaya. The
Portuguese, the first Europeans in Thailand, arrived in
Ayutthaya shortly after they captured Malacca in 1511.
As the area was also claimed by the Thai King, the Portuguese
shrewdly dispatched an envoy to the court of Ayutthaya in the
same year to reassure the Thais of Portuguese intentions.
In 1516, Portugal signed a treaty with Thailand to supply
firearms and munitions. With the treaty came with the rights
to reside, trade and practice their religion in Thailand. This
brought the first Portuguese friars in 1567 who established the
Catholic Church in Ayutthaya.
After the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767, the Portuguese
continued with their military support to King Taksin in his
efforts to drive the Burmese out of Thailand. The supply of
cannon and muskets contributed significantly to King Taksin's
army.
In recognition of their services, King Taksin granted the
Portuguese a plot of land to build a wooden church in an area
called Kudi Jeen. Thus, the church is sometimes called Wat
Kudi Jeen.
Over the next 65 years, the wooden church in Kudi Jeen fell
into a state of disrepair. In 1835, Cardinal Pallegoix rebuilt and
renamed the church, Santa Cruz Church meaning Holy Cross
Church in English.
The present Santa Cruz Church was rebuilt again in 1913 and
this structure has remained ever since.
The gate to the spacious courtyard is a short distance from the
Santa Cruz Pier on the Chao Phraya. A crucifix is in one
corner of the courtyard and a statue of Mary within a beautiful
garden in the other.
Within a smaller courtyard, surrounded by a low wrought iron
fence, stands the neat cream colored church trimmed in
reddish-brown and topped by a domed belfry. The sidewalls of
the church are decorated with stained glass etched with biblical
images.
The church and the inner courtyard are closed on weekdays.
To the rear of the church, away from the Chao Phraya, there's
a little cemetery with nine tombstones encased in marble.
The well-kept church grounds are quiet on weekdays save for
the rhythmic strains of children reciting their lessons in the
Santa Cruz Convent nearby and the occasional passerby on the
way to the pier.
Like an urban oasis with narrow sois (lanes) leading to the
busy streets outside, the Santa Cruz Church is all that remains
of Portuguese influence in Kudi Jeen today.
The Santa Cruz Church is part of the Bangkok Communities that make up the the rich cultural milieu of Bangkok.
Santa Cruz Church first appeared in Tour Bangkok Legacies, a travel
site with a historical perspective of renowned places preserved
for posterity and the legendary figures who left these legacies
in the landscape of Bangkok. The author, Eric Lim, is a free-
lance writer who lives in Bangkok Thailand.
MORE RESOURCES:
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Pigeon Forge Campgrounds
Campgrounds are a perfect Pigeon Forge lodging option for visitors looking to be as close as possible to the great outdoors. Campgrounds in Pigeon Forge are located near the beautiful and majestic Great Smoky Mountains National Park and are still only minutes away from the outlet malls, dining, and music theatres that downtown Pigeon Forge has to offer.
Your Virgin Bushwalk
Isn't it time you stepped out of the concrete jungle and into a wilder world, the world of the African bushveld?This may be a major step for most metro dwellers, as the city life offers a certain sense of security, a place to dwell, free from insects and the dangers spawned from mother nature's indifference to man.What happens when the Landrover finally stops and your feet meet with the Savannah floor? Do your preconceptions of an African Safari drop away? Find out what Sabi Sabi's ultimate bush experience is all about!Ambient Sounds of the Bushveld Come AliveOn foot the intricacies of the African bushveld become apparent, the soft textures of yellowed grasslands, the smell of the earth and the ambient sounds of the bushveld come alive.
Whale Watching - The Biggest Show on Earth
Whale watching is a spellbinding, entertaining, and thought-provoking adventure trip. It's a show with the largest mammals on earth as the star performers.
Bunbury Western Australia
The first recorded mapping of what is now Koombana Bay and the eventual City of Bunbury, was in 1803 by the French explorers Nicolas Baudin and Louis de Freycinet, from their ships the Geographe and Casuarina. In 1831 there was a temporary English military settlement with the first settlers moving to the area named after Lieutenant Henry William St Pierre Bunbury in 1838.
The Classy Way to Do WA
Western Australia - South-West Coast driving holiday.
Great Australian Road Trips
Okay, so road trips in Western Australia might bring to mind punishing distances and dusty towns, and accidentally forgetting to fill up on petrol only to pass your remaining three days under the thin shade of a dead tree wondering if any car is likely to come your way.
How to Grab a Bite to Eat and Help the Planet
You CAN grab something to eat, enjoy every bite, AND help the planet..
Eight Tips For A Bug-Free Summer
(NC)-With approximately 42,000 mosquitoes for every person in Ontario, most of us spend a great deal of our summers swatting away these pesky insects. Protecting yourself against mosquitoes will not only make your summer more enjoyable, it will help prevent you and your family from getting annoying and sometimes dangerous bug bites.
Tamil Nadu - A potpourri of culture and festivity
Tamil Nadu is a delightful anachronism. With a rich culture reaching back to the early dawn of history, the land of Temples is also a modern developing state.
Backyard Camping Trip
Are your kids begging you to take them camping, but you just can't find the time to take them on a camping trip? Or would you like to introduce your kids to the fun of camping for the first time, but aren't sure if they will enjoy it, or might get scared? Either way, camping out in your backyard will be a fun way to spend the evening and night with your kids.Get the kids involved in setting up camp in your backyard.
Alaska Sport Fishing Guide
WHAT TO FISH AND WHERE: Alaska offers some of the most diverse and incredible fishing opportunities in the world. You can drop a line into a roadside river and catch a nice size rainbow trout.
Block Island - Memorable Vacations Are Made of This
Block Island is a seaside jewel lying 12 miles off the southern coast of Rhode Island. This is a place where nature clings to every pond, stone-walled trail, beach, and everything in between.
Lake Jipe straddling Tanzania and Kenya
So unknown is this treasure of Lake Jipe not many Tanzanians know of its existence or location. Sandwiched between the Pare mountains and Kilimanjaro this small lake [30 km sq] straddles the border between Kenya and Tanzania.
Unforgettable Cape Cod Vacations: The National Seashore Gift
Take a captivating trip through the Cape Cod National Seashore with miles of white sandy beaches, trails and hikes to take your breath away, and majestic dunes. Just keep reading and you can visit all those places right now.
Motorhome Camp Grounds Stalls should be Astroturf
Having traveled from state to state and every city in the United States over 10,000 population occasionally staying at motor home camp grounds it seems that a few new ideas might be worthy of mention. Motor home campgrounds generally consist of a cement parking stall, which is level and then hook ups for electricity, water, waste and Cable TV if you so need it.
Dancing With Whales
We've all heard about whalewatching from boats or shore, and a few companies are now offering the possibility of actually swimming and snorkeling with whales in the wild. Is this a good thing?Some whalewatching operators in the Kingdom of Tonga, South Pacific islands, advertise the possibility of swimming and snorkeling with humpback whales during the cetacean's annual migration from July to October.
On Safari in Northern Tanzania - Back to The Sixth Day of the Creation
Tanzania's natural endowment as a wildlife safari destination is unrivalled. Wild animals roam in vast areas as God intended on that sixth day of the creation.
Mount Kenya - Up High at God's Mountain
Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest mountain, after Kilimanjaro. It is estimated to be 2.
A Holiday in Rajasthan
Romancing History - A Holiday in RajasthanRajasthan, the name evokes myriad impressions - an intricate tapestry of colour, sound and smell. Holidaying in Rajasthan brings one face to face with mammoth contradictions - where royal grandeur is easily offset by rustic charm and lavish opulence belies ingenious survival.
Be Sure to Buy the Best Discount Camping Gear Before Going on that Family Adventure
When you're on the Internet looking for discount camping gear, it's good to read an online camping equipment review. There are so many camping outdoor gear products on the market today that the challenge is choosing between them.
Shark Attacks! How Common are They? Where do They Occur?
Last week in Australia, one man's day at beach could have turned into a disaster: He was attacked by a seven-foot bronze whaler shark while surfing about 100 yards out from Sydney's Bronte Beach.Fortunately, the man, Simon Letch, stayed calm and "shoved the board at [the shark] like a barge pole.
|