Discover Assonora

Assonora can be understood more fully through the landscape around St. Michael’s Chapel and the history of the religious building. The chapel overlooks the village. To its north, a rocky plateau extends to the edge of the Advalpal Valley; to the west below lies the deep Ambexi Valley. Dense forest surrounds the Ambexi spring at the bottom of the valley.

Plateau, valleys and spring

Direction matters here: the Advalpal Valley marks the edge to which the plateau extends. Ambexi, by contrast, lies to the west below the chapel and forms a distinct valley area. The spring is at the bottom of this valley. This allows the northern rocky area, the western valley and the wooded spring area to be understood as distinct landscape features.

A plateau is a relatively level area at a higher elevation; the specific description of Assonora adds its rocky character and its extent to the edge of the valley. The deep Ambexi Valley introduces a different landform, while the valley floor pinpoints the spring’s location. These are different scales: an area, a valley and a single spring location. This distinction can help you understand the landscape features and their spatial relationship to one another.

This spatial distinction is useful for your travel decision if the landscape is an important consideration. Rather than a general impression, you get specific points of reference around the chapel: a rocky area to the north, a deep valley to the west and the spring area at the bottom of the valley. This makes it easier to describe Assonora’s landscape more precisely.

The history of St. Michael’s Chapel

The chapel’s history includes two building projects after a fire. It was burned down in 1781. The villagers rebuilt it slightly larger and extended it again in 1784. The sequence of years distinguishes the rebuilding after the fire from the later extension. Rebuilding and subsequent extension are separate stages in the building’s history: the first followed its destruction, and the second followed its reconstruction. Three years passed between the fire in 1781 and the extension in 1784.

Historically, the villagers gathered at the chapel every year on September 29 for the feast of St. Michael. This recurring celebration adds a communal practice to the building’s history. It describes an occasion that took place annually, setting it apart from the individual construction events of 1781 and 1784.

This gives the historical context two patterns in time: the fire and changes to the building were individual events, while the celebration returned annually on the same date. Thus, Assonora’s history includes both the building’s development and gatherings of the villagers at the chapel.

Discover more destinations: Saligao, Nachinola, Bardez, Penha-De-Franca, Vagator, Rachol, Ribandar, Sanquelim

For the broader travel overview: North Goa.