The St Anthony Royal Chapel, situated in Old Goa, is found in Velha Goa, approximately 800 meters from the Sé Cathedral, near the ruins of the Convent of St. Augustine.
The modest chapel features an eastern façade and is positioned on the southern side of the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário, constructed concurrently with it. During the reconquest of Goa, Diogo Mendes de Vasconcelos was stationed here with a contingent of 300 men. Commonly referred to as the Royal Chapel, it was initially managed by the Cathedral Chapter until Archbishop Dom Aleixo de Menezes transferred its administration to the Augustinians in 1606. Following the dissolution of religious orders, the chapel fell into disuse. The first Patriarch of Goa later restored it in honor of the seventh centenary of St Anthony, placing it under the oversight of the administrator of the convent of St Francis of Assisi.
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The Chapel features a vaulted chancel, with a retable of St Anthony embellishing the main altar. The side altars are dedicated to Our Lady of Fever and Saints Cosimo and Damian. Four frescoes depicting the five doctors of the Church adorn the walls of the Chapel. The artwork of Our Lady of Fever includes a poignant two-verse poem that addresses the theme of ‘Spiritual fever,’ which the poet considers to be more perilous. He implores Our Lady to restore his spiritual well-being.
