Naroa Fort

Naroa Fort was a military installation located on the eastern tip of Divar Island, also known as Ilha de Piedade, within the Velhas Conquistas region of Goa, India. Originally constructed in the 1500s by the Deccan sultanates as a military camp, the site was later captured and significantly reinforced by Portuguese forces. Its primary strategic function was to defend the eastern borders of colonial Goa against incursions from the neighboring Bijapur Sultanate. Built using laterite stones and mud, the fortress stood approximately ten meters high and served as a critical defensive point during the early periods of Portuguese rule in the area.

The fort lost its strategic importance following the incorporation of the Novas Conquistas regions, which shifted the boundary lines and rendered the structure obsolete for border defense. Consequently, the military garrison was withdrawn, and the site was officially abandoned in 1834. Today, the fort exists only as ruins under the ownership of the Government of Goa. Most of the original structure has disappeared, leaving behind a solitary wall measuring roughly ten to twelve meters in length and six meters in height. A distinctive architectural feature of this remaining wall is a semi-circular protrusion that faces a window of the church across the road, which historians believe may have once served as a small balcony capable of holding a single person.

The most significant surviving element of the complex is the Holy Spirit Chapel, which stands as the sole remaining remnant of the former fortress. This church was reportedly constructed in 1710 by Diogo da Silveira, who served as the Captain of the Fort at the time. Although the building is currently known as the Holy Spirit Church of Naroa, its main altar is uniquely adorned with an icon of Saint Thomas the Apostle rather than the Holy Spirit. The site remains open to the public, offering visitors a glimpse into the colonial military history of Goa through these fragmented but historically rich ruins.