India GO
Menezes Braganza House, Chandor: timings, donation and what you see
The Menezes Braganza House in Chandor, South Goa, is a 17th-century mansion that runs along one whole side of the village square and is one of the largest colonial-era houses in Goa. It is still a family home, divided into two wings, and a family member usually shows visitors round. There is no ticket: a donation is the custom, and visiting hours are roughly 9 am to 5 pm.
The largest Portuguese-era house in Goa runs down one whole side of Chandor's village square and has been lived in since the 17th century; it still is, by Braganza descendants who keep the two wings separately. Behind that long row of windows are a ballroom under chandeliers, Belgian glass, Ming porcelain and a private library of some 5,000 books, everything slightly worn in the way of a home rather than a museum. Roughly 9:00 to 17:00; a member of the family usually walks visitors through, and a donation is the custom.
Goa's grandest colonial mansion, still a home, and the family shows you round
Timings, donation and how a visit works
There is no official timetable or ticket office. The India GO description gives roughly 9 am to 5 pm. A member of the family usually takes visitors through the rooms, and instead of a ticket visitors leave a donation.
The two wings belong to different branches of the family and are kept separately, with a common entrance. If you want to see both, say so at the start. People live here, so keep to the rooms you are shown.
What you see in each wing
From the Government of Goa description of the house.
East wing: Pereira Braganza
The Great Salon and a ballroom with an Italian marble floor and antique European chandeliers; carved rosewood furniture; a pair of high-backed chairs with the family crest, given by King Dom Luís of Portugal; 18th-century furniture of local wood inlaid with mother of pearl by craftsmen from Curtorim. A small chapel holds a relic of St Francis Xavier, a fingernail.
West wing: Menezes Braganza
Chinese porcelain from Macau, family portraits from the 17th and 18th centuries, and the library: almost 5,000 leather-bound books collected by Luís de Menezes Braganza (1878–1938), journalist and figure of the Goan freedom movement. It is believed to be the first private library in Goa. The description above mentions Ming porcelain; the Government of Goa portal describes it as Chinese porcelain from Macau.
The façade
A long whitewashed laterite front with 24 large windows and a central balcony, facing Chandor's square.
History of the house
Family records date the land grant to 1576. The house was extended in the 17th and 19th centuries, and in the 19th century it was divided between two sisters: the western wing went to the Menezes Braganza branch and the eastern wing to the Pereira Braganza branch. Luís de Menezes Braganza published the newspapers O Heraldo and O Debate from its salons.
After 1961 the house was neglected until a descendant began restoring it in 1983. A trust has overseen its conservation since 2005.
Getting there
The house is on the village square of Chandor, in Salcete taluka, South Goa. Use the map above to plan the route.
❓ FAQ
Which is the biggest house in Goa?
The Menezes Braganza House in Chandor is usually described as the largest Portuguese-era house in Goa; its front runs along one whole side of the village square.
Which is the oldest house in Goa?
No single answer is official. The Braganza House dates from the 17th century, on land granted in 1576 according to family records.
Is there an entry fee at Braganza House?
There is no ticket; a donation is the custom. The amount is not officially set.
What are the Menezes Braganza House timings?
Roughly 9 am to 5 pm according to the India GO description; there is no official timetable.