The Ruins of Saint Paul's (; ) are the remnants of a 17th-century Catholic religious complex in Santo António, Macau. They include what was originally St. Paul's College 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. Today, the ruins are one of Macau's best-known landmarks and were named one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World by the Portuguese government in 2010. In 2005, they were officially listed as part of the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History
left|thumb|The interior of the church, drawn by [[George Chinnery a few days after its destruction in 1835]]
Built from 1602 to 1640 by the Jesuits, during the time in which Portugal and Spain were under the same crown, the church was one of the largest Catholic churches in Asia at the time. It was destroyed by a fire during a typhoon on 26January 1835. The façade sits on a small hill, with 68 stone steps leading up to it. A museum is located behind it.
The façade is shaped like a retable and themed around the Assumption of Mary.
Conservation
thumb|The ruins in 2013
thumb|The structure behind the facade to maintain its integrity
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 martyrs and the monastic clergy, including the founder of the Jesuit college in Macau, Father Alessandro Valignano.
The ruins were restored by the Macanese government into a museum, and the façade is now buttressed with concrete and steel in a way which preserves the aesthetic integrity of the façade. 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.
See also
- Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt
- Religion in Macau
- List of Jesuit sites
- Ivan Vreman