Senado Square
Senaado square and St. Domingos Church. Sketch by George Chinnery
Senate square is dominated by the Senate building and the Santa Casa de Misericordia the (top) “Holy House of Mercy”, founded in 1569, which provided, as modern insurance companies do, medical and human care and economic sustenance of widows and orphans.
It had a hospital open to all races, a residence for the poor, and a hospice for lepers.
The cooperation with the Senado was continuous since some tellers were members of the Casa de Misericordia. Opposite the Misericordia is the headquarter building of Macau Tourism Department (Below).
In 1587 arrived in Macau a group of Dominican, Spanish friars from Acapulco, via Manila.
They founded the (wooden) church of Our Lady of the Rosary, and a convent.
In 1709 the friars sided with the Patriarch Toulon in the issue of the Rites. In 1721 (top left) the convent was rebuilt. Served as a hospice for Clergy from Portuguese India, a school for Timor, shop’s, etc.
At the end of the 18th century anti religious governments expelled the friars. Monasteries were occupied and were made unrecognizable as such by militarize forces who settled on them.
In the beginning of the 19th century the Fire department set its headquarters on it.
St. Domingos Church and The Santa Casa da Misericordia