Ruins of St.Paul's

In Santo António, Macau, China, there are ruins of a 17th-century Catholic religious complex known as Saint Paul's. They consist of what was once St. Paul's College and the 17th-century Portuguese church known as "Mater Dei," the Church of St. Paul, which is dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle. As one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World, the ruins are today a well-known monument in Macau. They were formally included in the Historic Centre of Macau's UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

The Jesuits constructed the church, which at the time was one of the biggest Catholic churches in Asia, between 1602 and 1640. The structure's fortunes also declined as Macau's prominence waned and Hong Kong replaced it as the primary port for the Pearl River Delta. On January 26, 1835, a fire during a typhoon caused the building to be completely destroyed. The ruin is seen from the Fortaleza do Monte. This might have happened because Francesco Melzi showed Carlo Spinola the codex in Milan or because Giacomo della Porta, the architect who created the façade of the Church of the Gesù in Rome, did.

Location: Santo António, Macau, China