The Ruins of St. Paul's and Mount Fortress

After visiting St. Anthony’s Cathedral, we walked about a block or two along a cobblestone street (see first pic below) to go to arguably Macau’s most famous and top tourist attraction: the Ruins of St. Paul’s.

The Ruins of St. Paul’s refer to the facade of what were originally the Church of Mater Dei built in 1602-1640, destroyed by fire in 1835, and the ruins of St. Paul’s College, which stood adjacent to the Church. As a whole, the old Church of Mater Dei, St. Paul’s College, and Mount Fortress were all Jesuit constructions and formed what can be perceived as the ‘Acropolis’ of Macau and the cathedral was one of the largest Catholic churches in Asia at the time. Close by, the archaeological remains of the old College of St. Paul stand witness to what was the first western-style university in the Far East, with an elaborate academic program. In the fire caused by a typhoon, the college and church burned – ravaging almost all of the complex, leaving only the facade, most of the foundations, and the front steps. The facade displays a special mix of eastern and western styles and nowadays, the facade of the Ruins of St. Paul’s functions symbolically as an altar to the city. From 1990-1995, work was carried out to restore the precinct where the church stood in former years, turning it into a museum.

The facade is like an altar piece reached by going up the imposing flight of steps and invites the faithful to pray. It is divided into four horizontal sections, topped with a pediment and nine vertical divisions which contains various symbols that tell a story. Basically, the facade can be divided into two major sections: a rectangle corresponding to the two lower rows and a triangle.

Right next to the facade ruins, on a hilltop, stands Mount Fortress. Built in conjunction with the Jesuits from 1617 to 1626, this was the city’s principal military defense structure and network. The fortress was equipped with cannons, military barracks, wells, and an arsenal that held sufficient ammunition and supplies to endure a siege lasting up to two years. The fortress covers an area of 10,000 square meters, in the shape of a trapezoid. The four corners of the fortress protrude to form bulwarks. Originally, the the mount was used for over 300 years as an altar, but was converted into a fortress by the Portuguese. The fortress later became the official residence of the Governor of Macau, and then army barracks, a prison, and an observatory. It's a great place to come for panoramic views of the Ruins of St. Paul's and the whole of Macau and there is a tree covered park at the top.

Walking to the Ruins from St. Anthony's Church...

Pics of the Ruins...

The next pic is a shot taken when I climbed the platform behind the facade...

Now, a pic overlooking Jesus Square.  The buildings surrounding the square were constructed between 1920-1930 apart from two that are 19th century neo-classical.

The next few pics are of Mount Fortress...

And some panoramic shots atop the hilltop...