Ruins of St. Paul's

The Ruins of St. Paul are one of the most famous landmarks in Macau. What remains today are the facade and staircase of the church that was built from 1602 to 1637. The church of the Mother of God was designed by an Italian Jesuit and was built with the help of Japanese Christians. In the year 1835, a devastating fire engulfed the entire church and only the façade, staircase and some portions of the wall remained.

Restoration work was started on a massive scale and in the summer of 1991 the task was completed. As-of-now the facade is crowned by Jerusalem's cross and below it are three tiers with slots containing impressive bronze statues that had been casted at a local cannon and bell factory. The Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral were listed amongst the UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005.