The book
Macao’s Ruins of St. Paul (correct name Church of Madre de Deus) is the only example of Baroque art and architecture in China. This beautifully illustrated book explores anew the now vanished but once renowned Church, as well as the Jesuit university college of which it was part. Both Church and College were destroyed by fire in 1835. From the perspective of the history of art they have remained poorly explored. The author remedies this by imaginatively reconstructing their ground plans, architecture and decoration in the light of new information in original documents that he has found in archives and libraries in Europe and Macao. In his re-creation of the buildings, he illustrates and draws on the evidence of selected Jesuit buildings in Italy, Portugal, Spain and Portuguese India and considers the historical Counter-Reformation environment that eventually led to the College of Madre de Deus in China. The most recent art-historical findings on the Mannerist and Baroque art of the Jesuits in Europe and Iberian colonies are also taken into account. The author, who first identified the surviving façade of the Church as a retable-façade, an unusual type of Iberian and Latin American church façade resembling an altarpiece, brings his argument to its logical conclusion by relating it to the Church’s plan and decoration. An extremely important aspect of the art promoted by the Jesuits, centring on the cult of passive martyrdom, is also candidly discussed. This book will enable the general public to better appreciate the Ruins and provides much of interest and value to scholars, students, architects, art museums and cultural organizations.-
University of Chicago Press
Ruins of St. Pauls
Arguably Macau’s most famous landmark, the Ruins of St. Paul’s continue to captivate visitors centuries after it was originally constructed. Today, most tourists who visit the ruins probably only see the remains of a beautiful old church, but there’s more to its story. In fact, the ruins serve as a key reminder of Macau’s unique roots.
Constructed from 1602 to 1640 by Jesuit priests who travelled to the Far East to spread Catholicism, the site originally included St. Paul’s College and the Church of St. Paul, also known as “Mater Dei”, a Portuguese church dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle.
Located at the top of a hill, the structure was the largest church in Asia at the time and was acclaimed as “The Vatican of the Far East”. Its existence was meant to express the triumph of the Roman Catholic Church through the ornate grandeur of the buildings.
Most historians believe the church was designed by an Italian Jesuit named Carlo Spinola. The church’s design is one of a kind – like Macau itself, it’s a mix of East and West. Chinese and Japanese artisans and craftsmen were involved in the decoration of the façade, which was built by Japanese Christians who were fleeing persecution at home.
At the top of the façade, a dove is surrounded by stone carvings of the sun, moon and stars – a symbol of the Holy Spirit. European and Asian influences are reflected in the ruins through biblical images, Chinese characters, six Chinese lions, mythological representations, Japanese chrysanthemums, a Portuguese ship and bronze statues. Beneath the dove is a statue of Jesus, and around it are stone carvings of the implements of the crucifixion. Today, the façade of the Ruins of St. Paul’s functions symbolically as an altar to the city.
The original structure was made of wood, which burned down in a fire during a typhoon in 1835, leaving only the beautiful granite façade and a grand staircase of 68 stone steps leading up to it.
One lesser known fact is that there were once several tunnels in Macau, including one that was believed to connect the inner harbour in Macau to St Paul’s College, close to where the church was situated.
A priest named Sarmento wrote that he observed the tunnel in 1941, and that it was used by Jesuit priests to escape from attacks. Others believe it hid treasures. The tunnel may be sealed now, but its presence and that of the craftsmen who built the church can still be felt at the ruins of St Paul’s.
The ruins were restored by the Macanese government into a museum, and today the façade is buttressed with concrete and steel in a way that preserves the aesthetic integrity of the façade.
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. In 2005, the ruins were officially listed as part of the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt was built at the bottom of the ruins in 1996 and houses many religious artefacts including Sino-Portuguese crucifixes, as well as a 17th-century painting of St. Michael the Archangel – the only surviving work from the original college. Admission to the museum is free every day between the hours of 9am and 6pm.-
A Brief History of the Ruins of St. Paul's