Fodor's Expert Review The Old Secretariat

This heritage building, with sloping tiled roofs, wooden verandas, and carved stone coats of arms, occupies a pleasant spot by the Mandovi River and has several important associations. The first building on this site was the palace of the Sultan of Bijapur, who ruled Goa at the time of the Portuguese invasion. The building that the Portuguese erected in its place served as temporary quarters for the viceroys of Goa upon their arrival or departure from the territory until it became their permanent residence in the mid-18th century, when Old Goa was abandoned as the capital. In the early 20th century the Secretariat became a government office. It's slated to become a museum in the future, now that the legislature has moved to Porvorim.