One of the main buildings in the village is the college of St Thomas at Banguenium, Goa
The first remarkable building which was seen in Banguenim was the college of St. Thomas Aquinas, situated on the margin of the river close to the bridge which has been just mentioned. It had been erected by the Dominican Friars, as stated above, at Pangim, but owing to certain inconveniences it was demolished, and with its materials the College, which we are now describing, was commenced to be built in 1596 through the efforts of Fr. Francisco de Faria, Vicar General of the order. It was completed soon after the arrival of the Viceroy Dom Francisco da Gama, Count of Vidigueira, in the following year.
In this college the younger members of the Dominican order received instruction, and here too resided the aged and sick brethren of the same order.
The college received from the Government an annual supply of some of the necessary articles of food and raiment, as it did when it was at Pangim. But subsequently a fixed sum of money (£13-15-1) was allowed to it by the Álvara of the 3rd November 1599. In 1626 the building was partly destroyed by the explosion of some barrels of powder which had been kept by order of the Government in its cellars, on which occasion some of the friars were burnt to death. It was however repaired and was in a good state of preservation in the time of Gemelli, who writes about it as follows:-” Wednesday, the 2nd of March 1695.
” I went to the Church of St. Thomas of the Dominicans, a good fabric on the bank of the channel. It has seven altars; the monastery is large and beautiful, inhabited by twenty-five fathers.”
The Abbe Cottinean too found it in 1827 in a pretty good state. He says: ” The college of St. Thomas Aquinas in the suburb of St. Peter is likewise spacious, but not so much as the convent (of the Dominicans).
It is, however, in a much more healthy situation, whence many of the elder members of the order retired from the office and exempted from the duty of daily assisting at the choir, prefer this residence; besides the young professed members who are instructed in this college, seculars are also admitted to the lectures.”
It was closed along with the other religious buildings in 1835, the public treasury appropriating its property, worth £5,240-17-34. No further care being taken of it, the roof fell in 1844, and as the building seemed to be in a tottering condition, it was demolished two years later during the governorship of Pestana; there is at present no trace of it, and the spot where the Dominicans prepared themselves to preach the Gospel in different countries of the East is desolate and covered with palm trees.