Court

Diu, Guzerate, India

Equipment and Infrastructures

The Diu District Court functioned in the former Saint Paul’s Convent until the renovation of the Luiz José house near the Customs in 1866. Since then that building has housed the City Hall, Registry Office and Court. At an unknown date in the early 20th century the Court was moved to a new location on Conde de Torres Novas Street. There it remained until 1961, in a seemingly residential structure fronting a small square. The main façade of the rectangular building is at the eastern end, facing the eastern square. A staircase leads to the raised first floor. Another staircase leads to the upper floor, where the offices of the magistrate and prosecutor functioned. On the north side, contiguous to the street, are several full-length windows; there is no other door. A 1955 photograph reveals several differences compared to the current building, specifically the suppression of the fascia and the reworked framing. On the west side is a small cistern, currently filled with rubbish. The structure has an approach similar to that of the public buildings in Goa, with many affinities to domestic architecture.

• Alice Santiago Faria
• Sidh Losa Mendiratta