Macau Walking Tour: Historical Churches Near Senado Square » St Paul’s Church

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St. Paul’s Church was built in 1602 with its fascade being completed by 1627 by selected Japanese exiles and locals crafts masters. They worked under direct supervision from the Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola. As history would have it, the church was destroyed because of a kitchen fire in 1835. The only part of the church that survived the fire was the fascade which was covered with delicate statues of the Virgin Mary, saints, angels, devils, etc. Aside from these statues, one can also take a closer look at the intricate carvings on the concrete stone.

In an effort to save this historical architecture, restoration was done between 1990 and 1995 and the back part of the church’s fascade was transformed into a museum. Nowadays, the Ruinas de S. Paulo or the Ruins of St. Paul’s are seen as an important landmark of Macau and serves as a symbolic altar watching over the city.