Cathedral of St Paul, Macau
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Stpaulruins.jpg, used under GNU Free Documentation License
The ruins of the Cathedral of St Paul or Ruínas de São Paulo, is the most famous and the most recognisable icon of Macau. It is located at Largo da Companhia de Jesus. All that is left of the imposing 16th century cathedral is its front façade.
The Cathedral of St Paul was built between 1582 and 1602 by the Jesuits. At the time it was completed, it was the largest Catholic church in Asia. It is said that royalty from Europe vied with one another to bestow the best gift to this cathedral. However, as Macau is overtaken by Hong Kong in importance, so too was the glory of the cathedral eclipsed. The final nail to its coffin came on 1835, when a typhoon cause a fire to break out and destroy the whole building, safe for its façade.
The façade was the work of local craftsmen and Japanese Catholics living in exile, under the direction of Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola. The work was done between 1620 and 1627.
Conservationists from the Instituto Cultural de Macau embarked on a study of the ruins between 1990 and 1995. Excavations revealed the foundation and crypt, and allowed the scientists to understand the layout of the building. To prevent the façade from falling over, a conservation program was put in place where the façade was buttressed with concrete and steel.
Today tourists can climb up through a steel stairway to the rear of the structure. It is customary to throw coins from the top window for good luck.
The Cathedral of St Paul is one of the sights within the Historic Centre of Macau and is inscribed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.
Another view of the Cathedral of St Paul with the fast developing Macau in front of it
by Mo707, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Macau_Cathedral_of_Saint_Paul_back_n_Grand_Lisboa.JPG, and used under GNU Free Documentation License
Cathedral of St Paul
