St. Dominic’s Church, Macau Peninsula, Macau
One of the churches at the Historic Centre of Macau in Macau Peninsula that we visited during our Macau Day Tour on May 30, 2009 was the Convent of St. Dominic’s commonly known as St. Dominic’s Church or Sto. Domingo Church. St. Dominic’s Church is located at St. Dominic’s Square or Largo de São Domingos.
St. Dominic’s Church is a place of worship of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary which belonged to the Convent of St. Dominic’s founded in the late 16th century by the Spanish friars who arrived in Macau from the Philippines in 1587. The Spanish friars were soon replaced by the Portuguese clergy.
St. Dominic’s Church was originally built in wood but was later replaced by a grandiose three aisle temple, followed by a succession of restoration works until the present day with its solid brick construction. St. Dominic’s as a convent was extinct in 1834 and finally completely disappeared around the end of that century.
After the extinction of the convent in 1834, the temple became the repository of numerous work of arts and liturgical vessels from other churches and religious houses. The church deteriorated affecting the roof structure and the wooden choir partially corroded by white ants.
St. Dominic’s Church was closed to the public in 1994 for safety reasons but the Territory’s Administration decided in 1996 to continue its restoration. At present, only the church, an ample sacristy, and a gallery attached to the cloister remain.
The restoration of the church began in January, 01, 1997 and concluded in November 10, 1997. The restoration works amounted to MOP$11,000,000.00 and was totally paid by the Territory’s Administration which also decided to fully support and sponsor the permanent exhibition of the “Church’s Treasure” in cooperation with the Diocese of Macau and the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.
The “Church’s Treasure” now known as the “Treasure of Sacred Art” constitutes a remarkable mirror of the Christian devotion of the inhabitants of Macau. The “Treasure of the Sacred Art” can be found along the three floors of the bell tower.
Source: The information in frames along the side entrance of St. Dominic’s Church in Macau.
St. Dominic’s Church and St. Dominic’s Square are parts of the “Historic Centre of Macau”. The Historic Centre of Macau was officially inscribed on July 15, 2005 on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Related Links:
Macau Government Tourist Office
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