The Ruins of St. Paul's Description

The Ruins of St Paul refer to the ensemble composed by the façade and stairway of the old church of Mater Dei, built between 1602-1640, and by the ruins of the old St. Paul’s College, located next to the church, and both part of a religious complex destroyed in a fire in 1835. As a whole, the ruins are a testimony of what was the first western-style institution of university level in the Far East and, together with Mount Fortress, they are examples of constructions derived from collaborative efforts between the Portuguese and the Jesuits, constituting what could be considered the so-called “Acropolis” of Macao.

大三巴牌坊是圣保禄学院天主之母教堂正面前壁的遗址。

圣保禄学院天主之母教堂於1602年开始修建，现在牌坊左侧还存有当时的奠基石。整个建筑工程於1637至1640年间才完全竣工；目前所见的教堂前壁就是最後落成的部分。1835年，一场大火烧毁了圣保禄学院及其附属的教堂，仅剩下教堂的正面前壁、大部分地基以及教堂前的石阶。自此之後，这里便成为世界闻名的圣保禄教堂遗址。“三巴”是葡文“圣保禄”(São Paulo)的译音，本地人因教堂前壁形似中国传统牌坊，将之称为“大三巴牌坊”。

Opening Hours:
Façade of the Church of Mater Dei: 24 hours

开放时间：
大三巴牌坊立面全日开放，无休馆日。