Ruínas de São Paulo (Ruins of St. Paul's Church)

Ruínas de São Paulo (Ruins of St. Paul's Church) Review

Only the magnificent, towering facade, with its intricate carvings and bronze statues, remains from the original Church of Mater Dei, built between 1602 and 1640 and destroyed by fire in 1835. The church, an adjacent college, and Mount Fortress, all Jesuit constructions, once formed East Asia's first western-style university. The ruins are now the widely adopted symbol of Macau, a tourist attraction with snack bars and antiques and other shops at the foot of the site. The small Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt tucked behind the facade of São Paulo holds statues, crucifixes, and the bones of Japanese and Vietnamese martyrs. There are also some intriguing Asian interpretations of Christian images, including samurai angels and a Chinese Virgin and Child.