Historic site · MACAU SAR · UNESCO
Ruins of St Paul's
大三巴牌坊 · Dàsānbā Páifāng
About
Façade of a 17th-century Jesuit cathedral, destroyed by fire in 1835. The most-photographed image of Macau, at the heart of the UNESCO historic centre.
St Paul's Cathedral was built between 1602 and 1640 by Jesuit missionaries with help from Japanese Christian craftsmen exiled from the persecutions in Japan. The mannerist-style stone façade, with its statues of Asian-influenced saints and an ostrich-shaped 'devil' pacifying the underworld, is one of the most distinctive religious façades in Asia. The rest of the cathedral burned in 1835; only the façade and the crypt survived. UNESCO-listed in 2005 as part of the Historic Centre of Macau.
How to get there
Walk from Senado Square (10 minutes).
When to visit
Early morning to avoid crowds; sunset for the warm light on the façade.
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