St Augustine

St Augustine Monastery was founded in 1586 by the Spaniards Francisco Manrique and companions, which were spading the faith from Mexico to the Philippines and Asia.

The facade of the previous church was Baroque as it is clearly show in George Chinnery Paintings. The actual neoclassic version is from 1874.

The structure is divided by columns in three naves, a similar scheme use in Mater Dei, and St. Dominic churches, which where conventual’s.

The former Square or ” terreiro” in front of the church, was drastically reduced after the construction in 1860 of the “green” Theater D. Pedro V, for the entertainment of the western foreign community were most were pagan or protestant.

The Theater also cover the views to the St. Joseph Seminar founded in 1728 by the Jesuits, that is the only Latin cross shape church, fashioned in Italy at that time by some architects. Nevertheless, the stuccowork used is common with many other churches.

The last noble building in this square is three floor typically Macanese palace with a front and rear garden the Sir Robert Ho Tung, Build in 1884 and bough by the wealthy Robert Ho Tung in 1916, now a public library.

Seminar Theatre Lybrary