Ruins of Saint Paul's

Saint Paul's Ruins
Native names Chinese: 大三巴牌坊 Portuguese: Ruínas de São Paulo
Type	Ruins
Location	Santo António, Macau, China
Coordinates	22°11′51″N 113°32′26″E
Height	26 metres
Formed	Granite, Masonry, Bronze
Founder	Alessandro Valignano
Built	1637-1640
Built for	Catholic, church
Original use	Catholic Church
Restored	1995
Architectural style(s)	Baroque
Governing body	Macau Cultural Bureau
Website	http://www.wh.mo/cn/site/detail/18

The Ruins of Saint Paul's (Chinese: 大三巴牌坊; Portuguese: Ruínas de São Paulo) are the ruins of a 17th-century Catholic religious building in Santo António, Macau, China. In 2005, it was listed as part of the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage '''Site.

History

Jesuit convent, Macau

The church was built in 1565 by the Jesuits. Most of the church was built using mud and wooden materials except for the front facade. In 1595, the church was damaged by fire, it was quickly rebuilt and it was repaired in 1602. At that time, it was the largest Catholic Church in Eastern Asia. In 1762, the Jesuits were forced to abandon the church because of persecution. In 1835, between 6:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., a large violent fire destroyed the church, only the front of the church survived, the church has never been rebuilt again. It’s interesting if you think about that.