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Top 10 Interesting Facts about St Paul’s Ruins, Macau

The Ruins of Saint Paul’s are the ruins of a 17th-century Catholic religious complex in , , China.

They include what was originally and the Church of St. Paul (Igreja de São Paulo) also known as “Mater Dei”, a 17th-century Portuguese church dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle.

1. St Paul’s Ruins was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

UNESCO Logo- Author; International Bureau of Education- Wikimedia

Today, the ruins are one of Macau’s best-known landmarks and one of the .

In 2005, they were officially listed as part of the , a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. It was one of the largest churches in Asia by the time of its build

Photo by Elina Sitnikova on Unsplash

Built from 1602 to 1640 by the , the church was one of the largest Catholic churches in Asia at the time.

With the decline in the importance of Macau, which was overtaken as the main port for the by Hong Kong, the building’s fortunes similarly ebbed, and it was destroyed by a fire during a typhoon on 26 January 1835.

3. Its ruins were excavated under the institute cultural of makau

Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China- Author; N509FZ- Wikimedia

Resisting calls for the dangerously leaning structure to be demolished, from 1990 to 1995, the ruins were excavated under the auspices of the Instituto Cultural de Macau to study its historic past.

The crypt and the foundations were uncovered, revealing the architectural plan of the building.

Numerous religious artifacts were also found together with the relics of the Chinese Christian and the monastic clergy, including the founder of the , Father .

4. Ruins were later restored into a museum by the Macanese government

Image by Jess Cheng from Pixabay

The ruins were restored by the Macanese government into a museum, and the façade is now buttressed with concrete and steel in a way that preserves its aesthetic integrity.

There was once a steel stairway that allowed tourists to climb up to the top of the façade from the rear, but due to concerns for the preservation of the church, tourists are no longer allowed to climb up.

It was restored between 1990 and 1995. The Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt was also built at that time.

It has exhibitions of religious artworks including paintings, sculptures and statues.

5. Had its construction begin in 1602

Ruins of St. Paul’s- Author; yeowatzup- Wikimedia

The Ruins of St. Paul is the site of St. Paul Church. Construction of the Catholic church began in 1602. 

The church was built in 1602 adjoining the Jesuit College of St. Paul which was the first Western college in the Far East.

Missionaries such as Matteo Ricci and Adam Schall studied Chinese at the university before serving at the Ming Court in Beijing as astronomers and mathematicians.

The facade of carved stone was built in 1620-27 by Japanese Christian craftsmen who were refugees after the religion was wiped out in Japan. It was built under the direction of Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola.

6. St Paul’s Ruins burned down quite a few times throughout its history

7. Its architecture is very unique

St Paul’s ruins detail- Author; Bjørn Christian Tørrissen- Wikimedia

Built with granites, Ruins of St. Paul’s has a baroque facade rich in ornamentation but with classic oriental characteristics.

From the bottom up, the structure has five tiers. The first tier is comprised of ten Ionic columns with three entrances.

The entrance in the middle has ‘MATER DEI’ carved into it. The two entrances on each side are decorated with bas-reliefs in the pattern of ‘HIS’.

The second tier features ten Corinthian columns with three windows. A Catholic saint is enshrined in each of four tabernacles between columns.

The two tiers as a whole are said to represent the Society of Jesus and the activities of missionaries.

8. The construction of St Paul’s Ruins is mysterious

Author; AwOiSoAk KaOsIoWa- Wikimedia

It’s widely believed that the architect behind St Paul is Father Carlo Spinola, a Jesuit missionary from Genoa, Italy.

However, the rumours have never been confirmed. Moreover, there is a legend that the face of a bearded man crowned with thorns on St Paul’s façade is not Jesus Christ, but Carlo Spinola himself.

It is not easy to spot–the image is on the side of the façade, on the upper part.

9. Its surviving facade has been considered a fusion of western and eastern cultures

Author; yeowatzup- Wikimedia

It is worth mentioning that the stone lions at the sides of the third and fourth tiers in Ruins of St. Paul’s are distinctively Chinese.

There are also bas-reliefs in designs of chrysanthemum and cherry, as well as Chinese inscriptions. The surviving façade has long been acknowledged as a perfect fusion of western and eastern cultures.

10. The ruins are a major tourist attraction in china

Photo by Vernon Raineil Cenzon on Unsplash

A steel stairway allows tourists to climb up to the top of the façade from the rear to get a closer look at the stone carvings and to enjoy a panoramic view of the city below. It’s tradition to throw coins into the top window of the ruins from the stairs, for luck.