Gate of St. Paul's College

The Gate of St. Paul's College is the sole surviving vestige of a 16th-century Jesuit college founded circa 1542 by Saint Francis Xavier in Old Goa. Built in Doric style with laterite and basalt columns, this ASI-protected monument once served as the main Jesuit institution in Asia and housed India's first printing press. The gate stands in a fenced plot along the Old Goa-Ponda highway, marking the site where over 3,000 students were once educated.

Visitors can view a large historic stone arch featuring a niche at the top and a cross, flanked by artistic basalt columns within a small fenced compound. Information plaques provide historical context about the former college and its significance. The structure is located in a serene corner by the highway, slightly east of other Old Goa monuments, and offers a glimpse into Portuguese colonial educational heritage.

Founded circa 1542 by Saint Francis Xavier, St. Paul's College was the premier Jesuit educational institution in Asia. It housed India's first printing press in 1556, publishing the first books in the country including 'Conclusiones Philosophicas' and Garcia da Orta's medical text. At its peak, the college had 200 teachers and 3,000 students studying arts, language, music, philosophy, science, and theology. The original buildings were demolished in 1832, leaving only this gate as a reminder of its illustrious past.

The college played a pivotal role in education and missionary training during Portuguese rule in Goa. Its legacy continues through the Rachol Seminary. The site represents early European educational influence in India and the introduction of Western printing technology to the subcontinent.