St. Dominic's Church, Macau

St. Dominic's Church is a late 16th-century Baroque-style church in Macau's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It stands at Largo de São Domingos, near the Leal Senado Building. The church blends European and local Macanese features, including Chinese-style roof tiles and teak doors. Its high altar centers on a statue of the Madonna and Child, flanked by wood and ivory-carved saint statues.

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• Baroque architecture with Chinese-style roof tiles and teak doors
• High altar with a Madonna and Child statue, flanked by wood and ivory-carved saint statues
• Treasure of Sacred Art Museum inside the bell tower, displaying about 300 religious artifacts
• Part of the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Bereikbaarheid

Goed om te weten

• Located at Largo de São Domingos, near the Leal Senado Building in Macau's peninsula.
• The church is one of 29 sites forming the Historic Centre of Macau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Een stukje geschiedenis

The church was established in 1587 by three Spanish Dominican priests from Acapulco, Mexico. In 1644, a Spanish officer seeking refuge was murdered at the altar during mass. In 1707, the Dominicans were excommunicated for defying the Bishop of Macau over the Chinese Rites controversy; they closed the church for three days and threw rocks at soldiers. The first Portuguese-language newspaper in China, A Abelha da China, was published here on September 12, 1822. The church closed in 1834 when monastic orders were dissolved, later reopening with sacred art from other dissolved orders. It underwent renovation in 1997, adding a museum.