| Monte
Fort, located close to the Ruins of St. Paul's, is one
of the major attractions in Macau.
Built
on granite foundations in 1616 with bastions at each corner,
this fort, as a part of St. Paul's Church, was once used
to defend St. Paul's Church against pirate. Covering an
area of 21,000 square feet, the fort contained barracks,
cisterns and storehouses. Four cannons were set at the
four corners of the fort with very wide fields of fire,
covering the inner and outer harbors and the Chinese border.
Monte
Fort later fell into disrepair after the Jesuits were
expelled in 1762. In 1831, the Jesuit College was turned
into barracks and in 1835 a fire destroyed the fort buildings,
the college as well as the church, only the stone facade
of the church remained, which now is noted as Ruins of
St. Paul's.
Over
the following decades, with more and more tress growing
from the platform of the fort, the fort became a public
park, where residents and visitors came to enjoy the views.
In 1998, Macau Museum was installed into the fort with
exhibits illustrating the rising and falling fortunes
as well the present achievement of Macau.
Stand
on the fort, one may have a panoramic view of Macau.
|