Museum of the Holy House of Mercy

Museum of the Holy House of Mercy

The Museum of the Holy House of Mercy is a full embodiment of the cultural mission of the Holy House of Mercy in Macau. Established on December 14, 2001, the museum was created to promote the Holy House of Mercy—an institution deeply intertwined with centuries of Macau’s history. Its rich collection reflects the development of the Catholic Church and the harmonious coexistence of Eastern and Western cultures. The museum is located within the main building of the Holy House of Mercy at Senado Square in Macau. This main building is an important part of the architectural heritage and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

The museum's collection is part of the Holy House of Mercy’s treasures and serves as a microcosm of the institution’s over four-century-long history. The exhibits collected and displayed here are quite exquisite. They include artifacts representing the Holy House of Mercy, as well as liturgical items, religious artworks, ornaments, and many other historically inherited pieces related to the Catholic Church, totaling more than 2,000 items. Among them, the most notable is the original handwritten manuscript of the “Statutes of the Holy House of Mercy of Macau” from 1662.

A new exhibition hall opened by the Museum of the Holy House of Mercy at the end of 2011 covers an area of 800 square feet. Most of its exhibits highlight porcelain, ivory, wood carvings, and silverware influenced by the interplay of Catholicism with Eastern and Western cultures. It also displays a 104.5-centimeter-high pink-glazed statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus fired during the Tongzhi era, a 38-centimeter-diameter blue-and-white plate depicting the Baptism of Jesus, also produced in the Tongzhi era, and a 1936 map of all Catholic dioceses in China illustrated in both Chinese and French.

Núcleo Museológico

Must-visit reason: Best representation of the culture of the Holy House of Mercy in Macau

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia【Asia】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Macao[Macao]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Cathedral Parish [Cathedral Parish]