All that remains of St. Paul’s Cathedral, once considered the finest Christian building in the Far East, is its imposing Renaissance fa§ade, a Macau landmark standing at the top of a broad flight of granite steps. After the destruction of the first church by fire in 1601, a new one was completed in 1637, modeled on the church of the Ges in Rome and constructed by Christians driven out of Japan. The church was destroyed by a typhoon and fire in 1835, but its remaining fa§ade still displays a little of the cathedral’s former glory.

Notable features include an inscription above the doorway dedicating the church to the Mother of God; figures of Jesuit saints; and a profusion of relief ornaments, ranging from a figure of the Virgin Mary to dragons, skeletons, and a variety of motifs, both European and Asian. Also of interest are reliefs of biblical scenes including the Fall and the Crucifixion. Another Christian site worth visiting is the Igreja da S – the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady – a lovely basilica-style cathedral built in 1850 and reconstructed in 1938. Highlights include a shrine above the chapel holding the relics of Japanese martyrs who died during the persecution of Christians in the early 17th century.