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Ruins of St. Paul's
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Ruins of St. Paul
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The great ruined façade and staircase to the church of the Mother of God - now popularly known as St. Paul's - is the most famous landmark of Macau. Designed by an Italian Jesuit, and, with the assistance of Japanese Christian artisans who had fled from feudal persecution in Nagasaki, the church was built from 1602 to 1637. In 1835, a fire burned it to the ground, leaving only the façade, the staircase and portions of a wall. It remained unchanged until a restoration was undertaken and completed in the summer of 1991. That façade is crowned by the cross of Jerusalem, below which are three tiers with niches containing statues that were cast from bronze, at a local cannon and bell factory.
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Leal Senado Square
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The 3700m, Leal Senado Square is paved with a wave-patterned mosaic of coloured stones, created by Portuguese experts.
Institute of Civic & Municipal Affairs Building
Institute of Civic & Municipal Affairs (ex Leal Senado), situated
in Leal Senado Square, was built in 1784 and remains the most outstanding
example of traditional Portuguese architecture in Macau.
Inside, the lower walls are decorated with magnificent blue and white
Portuguese tiles while a number of historic stone carvings are set into
an interior courtyard.
The building is regarded as the most outstanding example of Portuguese
architecture in the territory. A public library is located on the first
floor and its two inner chambers contain magnificent examples of the
institution at Coimbra, in Portugal.
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Guia
Fort
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Built on the highest point of Macau between 1637 and 1638, the fortress contains a chapel and a lighthouse. The chapel inside is in the style of Portuguese heritages of the 17th century.
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Monte
Fort
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To the right of this chapel is a bell which was made in 1707. The lighthouse, which is the dominating feature of the Fort, was built by a local-born Portuguese. It was first lit up on September 24, 1865, and is the oldest on the China coast. Standing only 16 feet tall, its beam can be seen from 20 miles at sea under good weather conditions. To this day, it provides a guiding beacon to the passing boats.
Also known as Citadel of S? Paulo do Monte, it was built between 1617 and 1626 as part of the church of St. Paul's project and with the added purpose of defending the city from possible attacks.
The Monte Fort's great moment of glory eventually came in 1622
when the Dutch attempted to invade Macau and were roundly defeated.
It
was also
the only occasion that the cannon in the Fort was used.
The Fort has been witness to three centuries of history, but
was opened officially only in 1966. Centrally located, the fort
is
a splendid
place to obtain overall views of the city, including Ruins of
St. Paul's below,
and one can see China just across the estuary.
