The Church of Sto. Domingo is one of the most beautiful churches in Macau. You will not miss this yellow and green building as you walk from Leal Senado plaza to the ruins of St Paul’s.
Sto. Domingo is a baroque Filipino style church built by the Spanish Dominican friars from Acapulco, Mexico in the mid 16th century. They also built a monastery next to the church which does not exist anymore. The plaza in front of the church used to be a marketplace. Originally built in wood, Sto. Domingo was finally rebuilt in stone in the year 1828. The basic layout is influenced by both Portuguese and Spanish styles. On the facade of Sto. Domingo is the emblem of the Domincan Order.
Don’t walk past without going inside. The Dominicans are well known for their love of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is not surprising therefore to have an image of the Madonna and Child in the altar piece. Above is the seal of Sto. Domingo painted on the ceiling. You can find this seal all over the place. Even some of the church vessels and instruments carry it. There is a bier dating from 1683. There are also some beautiful statutes of St. Caetano, St. Francis and St. Dominic. They have carved ivory heads.
The nave has two wide side aisles. The flooring is of ceramic mosaic tiles with floral decorations. The wooden roof is beautifully carved with ventilation lattices. There is a wooden balcony running along the upper sections of the side walls. The choir loft is above the main doors and from there you can overlook the plaza in front of the church.
The church is also historic because it was where here that the first Portuguese newspaper, A Abelha da China (The China Bee), was published on Chinese soil in 1822.
There is a small museum of sacred art in the bell tower at the back of the building with about 300 items on display.