St. Paul College

Mater of God Church
Bell Tower
Procuratoria of Japan
Rooms and workshops
Japanese Seminary

The ruins of St. Paul College are the paradigmatic monument of the first encounter between China and the West, focused in mixenization of cultures and sciences.

In 1572 arrived the first Jesuits to settle in Macau. They start a school, which was upgraded in 1594 to an University College, becoming the first western university in South East Asia, providing teaching Latin, Greek, local languages, music, painting, humanities rhetoric philosophy and theology.

St. Paul college walls had contemplated great scholars like Matteus Ricci and Ruggieri.

Two primitive wooden churches annexed to the College were lost in fires.

In 1602, a new church was erected with a tilled roof, stone in the facade and wooden columns in the central nave.

The sidewalls were made of Chunambo or Taipa (a compacted cemetitious amalgam of muddy earth mixed with straw and lime from oyster shells, sometimes reinforced with wood). The main architect of this last church was the Genovese Carlo Spinola.

Chinese and Japanese craftsman worked together in the construction and decoration as is clear apparent in the church facade. The Jesuits also built a Forte, connected with the college by exterior staircases and internally by tunnels.

In 1762 the Jesuits were expelled and the monastery was used by the main protagonists of the second encounter, the military. In 1835 a fire in the kitchen devastated the entire compound.

In 1995 Archaeological excavations were performed, unveiling some of the old structures.

The facade of the Church of Mater Dei

Triumphant Church, Heaven


Pediment: Gift of Grace,

The Holy Spirit

4th Row; Christ Saviour of the World

3th Row; Assumption of Mary, the new Eva, Theotocus and Mediatrix

Militant Church, Earth
2th Row; Glory of Jesuit's Saints

1th Row; This building, is a gate to the house, the citadel of God

The facade of the Church of Mater Dei (Mother of God) is a simplified and short cathechism about the role of Christ church in the salvation of men.

Jesus Christ is the savior of Mankind (JHS). He founded One Church Universal (Catholic) as the People of God, the Kingdom of heaven on Earth, struggling with the powers of evil.

He gave to Peter the keys of Heaven and the promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against his church where Peter in this Earth is the visible rock.

The "japanese" St. Michael