Introduction

The Ruins of St.Paul are located on top of a hill next to the Macau Museum and the famous Mount Fortress. The buildings are considered to have been designed by Carlo Spinola, who was an Italian Jesuit. It was originally constructed in 1580 by Jesuit priests who were in a mission to spread catholicism and they ended up building a College and a Church. In 1595 and 1601 the church caught fire and was reconstructed immediately in 1602 and was completed in 1637. After a number of years the church unfortunately caught fire again in a mighty typhoon that hit Macau in 1835. The structures were mostly made from wood and after the fire all that was left was a grand staircase of 68 steps made of stone and a granite facade. In 2005, the ruins were UNESCO listed as  part of the Historic Centre of Macau and became a World Heritage Site.

The design of the church is a mixture of European and Asian work of art. These characteristics are displayed throughout the building in images. There are Chinese characters, statues, biblical images and Japanese chrysanthemums. There is a dove at the top and just below it is a statue of Jesus and around it are stone carvings of the sun, moon and stars which symbolize the Holy Spirit and crucifixion.

Things to see and do on Ruins of St. Paul

Visitors can see the remains that were restored in 1990 and 1995 by the Macanese government at the Ruins. After restoration it became a museum and can stands to date is a buttressed facade reinforced with steel and concrete to preserve and maintain its original form.  The steel stairways allow visitors to climb to the top of the facade from the back side where they can have a panoramic view of the city as well as have a close view of the sculptures and statues. Visitors can also see the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt which is an exhibition of religions artworks including statues, paintings and sculptures.

Tourists can also take part in the tradition of throwing coins into the top of the window of the ruins from the staircase which is believed to bring good luck.

Tourists can have a look at the ruins architecture which is built with granite bearing a classic look. The structure has five tiers with the first tier having three entrances and ten columns. Two of the tiers are said to represent the Society of Jesus and the activities carried out by missionaries. Another tier amongst them features ten Corinthian columns and has three windows. Three of the remaining tiers are very conspicuous because they are the most decorated.

48In the middle of the third tier stands the statue of Madonna and on the fourth tier is the statue of Jesus. The triangular shape formed by the three upper tiers represent the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit including the Blessed Virgin Mary. The walls here are covered with bas reliefs in patterns resembling angels, devils crucifixion and many more patterns that visitors can discover.