• About
  • First Floor
    First Floor

    • Chronology of World Architecture
    • Encounter with the Outside World
    • Historic Pictorial Records of Goa
    • Glimpses of Goa
    • The Deshprabhu House
    • The Godinho-Jacques House
    • The Loyola-Furtado House
    • The Miranda House
    • The Silva House
    • The Costa House
    • The Kelekar House
  • Second Floor
    Second Floor

    • Climate and Architecture
    • Material and Construction
    • China Mosaic Flooring
    • Frescoes and Wall Paintings
    • The Interior
    • Oyster Shell
    • Railings
    • False Ceiling
    • Columns
    • Indo-Portuguese Furniture
    • Eaves Board
  • Attic Floor
    First Floor

    • Goan Houses Early Views
    • Helder Carita
    • Casa de Sobrado
    • The Balcao
    • Houses and their setting
    • Tulsi Vrindavan and Crosses
    • Raj Angan
    • Machila
  • Location
  • Comments
  • Contact

The Balcao

This is the most important feature of the Goan house and resembles a porch and function as an outdoor living space with stone benches to sit down and catch the breeze while watching the world to go by. It suited the social pattern where persons of lower caste were entertained outside the house and placed on a seat or step as per their social standing.

Here a curious little bunch of beauties known as 'beatas', the local gossipers. They comprise usually of middle-aged women, spinters and widows, who move in groups or in pairs and are always to be found buzzing around the market place, in the vicinity of the local church or in a 'balcao' exchanging in hoarse whispers, the latest bit of scandal and gossip. Those sweet ladies are at the moment, discussing the affairs of Bartolomeo da Costa, the village Romeo, who is currently carrying on a clandestine affair with Ermelinda, the village belle.

The TAVERNA

The 'TAVERNA' is to the rustic Goan what a Pub is to the Cockney. It is a cosy spot for a quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) little drink, after a long day's work in the field. A 'Copito' of 'feni' or 'urraca' and one for the road, an exchange of local gossip, a talk about the crops and the weather, a silent prayer as the church bells sound the Angelus, a song or two, a curse for what is wrong with life in general and just one more for the road, and the worker's day is done. At eight the church bells chime again, and the 'Taverna' closes for the night. The labourers wend their way home, and the village is silent and dark again.


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