Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral

Why Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral is special ?

The Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral (shèng bǎo luó dà jiào táng 圣保罗大教堂) are Macau's most famous landmark. Atop one of the island's seven hills, this spectacular facade is a symbol of Ruins of St. Paul’sMacau and an image that was projected throughout China leading up to the hand-over in December 1999.

St. Paul's Cathedral was first built in the 17th Century, with the design of an Italian Jesuit and the work of Japanese Christians. This mammoth and spectacular building dominated the city until 1835 when it was savagely destroyed by fire, sparing only the facade, the mosaic floor and stone steps approaching the building. The ruins of St. Paul's are still impressive and inspiring despite this destruction, and likely even more so as a result.

The magnificent and delicately carved facade looms over visitors as they climb the steps. The facade depicts various scenes from Christianity, harmoniously combining the style which is the epitome of Macau—a combination of renaissance and oriental art and design.

Even today, the ruins are held to be the most impressive monument to Christianity in the east. Behind the facade is Saint Paul's Museum which houses various religious relics and artifacts including the tomb of the Jesuit monk who designed the Cathedral.

Source: http://www.foreignercn.com/

What to explore at Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral?

Made of granites, the Ruins of St. Paul is 23 metres wide, 25.5 metres tall and divided into five tiers. The third tier and the above compose a triangle with the base being 8.5 metres. The architecture as a whole is baroque, but there is also a touch of Orient, like some traditional patterns of chrysanthemums in China or Japan, thus becoming a unique catholic church around the world.

The first tier is three entrances with ten Ionic orders. And the lintels of the small entrances are engraved with relief of IHS, while MATER DEI is in sight on the main entrance, which tells the Virgin Mary used to be enshrined here.

The second tire comprises three windows and ten Corinthian orders, each lintel carved with seven roses. Between the two pillars beside the middle window on both sides are Palmolive trees patterns, while four catholic saints are enshrined in niches of the side windows.

The third tier is best embellished, made up of six hybrid pilasters. In the middle exists a niche, where the Virgin Mary is in sight, with three reliefs of angels on both sides. The left is tree of wisdom and a pterosaur on which is the Virgin Mary. The right is spring of spirit and a western sailing boat on which is Our Lady, Star of the Sea. outside the pillars are buttresses, on which some Chinese can be read – "念死者无为罪", "鬼是诱人为恶".

The forth tier, composed of four hybrid pilasters, is enshrined with Jesus, on whose sides are reliefs of instruments of torture. Between pillars are reliefs of angels. The fifth tier is a triangle-shaped pediment, in the middle of which is a bronze pigeon with a cross atop.

Source: http://www.visitourchina.com/

How to get to Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral?

- By bus No. 10,10A, 11, 21A, 2, 3, 3A, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8A ,26A, 33 and get off at Avenida de Almeida Riberio (新馬路, San Man Lo), then walk along the Senado Square;

- By bus No. 17, 18, 8A, 26 and get off at Jardim Camoes/ Terminal (白鴿巢總站, Camoes Garden Bus Terminal), then walk along the Cobbled Street (石仔路).