Greetings, everyone!
Well, still on the topic of historical buildings in Macau, I'll blog about the many churches and cathedrals over there. The most famous will be the St Paul's Ruins. All that remains of the greatest of Macau's churches is its magnificent stone facade and grand staircase. The church was built in 1602 adjoining the Jesuit College of St. Paul's, the first Western college in the Far East where missionaries such as Matteo Ricci and Adam Schall studied Chinese before serving at the Ming Court in Beijing as astronomers and mathematicians.
After the expulsion of the Jesuits, the college was used as an army barracks and in 1835 a fire started in the kitchens and destroyed the college and the body of the church. After restoration work, lasting from 1990 to 1995, the back side of the St. Paul's Ruins was turned into a museum. The ruins are regarded as the symbol of Macau and now offer visitors a new site where they can view the remains of the former Church of the Mother of God, visit a Crypt where the relics of the Martyrs of Japan and Vietnam rest, and a museum of Sacred Art where there are exhibits of paintings, sculptures and liturgical objects from churches and monasteries in the City.
Another famous church is the 'Cathedral', the present building stands on the site of several previous cathedrals. The original cathedral was the church of Our Lady of Hope of St. Lazarus, declared the mother church of the Macau territory which included the religious provinces of China, Japan, Korea and other islands adjacent to China. The first stone Cathedral, consecrated in 1850, was almost destroyed in a typhoon 24 years later and had to be extensively repaired.The Cathedral was completely rebuilt in 1937. It has two solid towers and massive doors. Inside, its chief beauty lies in its fine stained-glass windows.
Nearby the Cathedral, is the St. Dominic's Church dated back to the early 17th century. It has an imposing facade of cream-coloured stone with white stucco mouldings and green windows. I did not have the chance to take a look inside, due to time constraint. I understand that St. Dominic's Church was renovated in 1997 and opened to the public with a museum, on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor. The museum shows paintings, sculptures and liturgical ornaments that illustrate the history of the Roman Catholic church in Asia.
Well, due to the passed Portugese settlements in Macau, churches and chapels are aplenty in Macau and still well preserved till today. Christianity is well embraced by the locals over there.
Signing off now! Will be back soon!
Acknowledgements:
Excepts from http://www.macautourism.gov.mo/
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