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Revision as of 10:34, 2 July 2015 by CandyEatingReporter (talk | contribs) (Added information)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) This article is about the building. For the organization known as the Leal Senado, see Municipal Council of Macau.| Leal Senado Building | |||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 民政總署大樓 | ||||||
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| Portuguese name | |||||||
| Portuguese | Edifício do Leal Senado | ||||||
The Leal Senado Building (Portuguese for Loyal Senate) was the seat of Macau's government (Legislative Assembly of Macau and Municipal Council of Macau) during its time as a Portuguese colony. It is located at one end of the Senado Square. The title was bestowed on Macau's government in 1810 by Portugal's Prince Regent João, who later became King John VI of Portugal. This was a reward for Macau's loyalty to Portugal during the Philippine Dynasty, between 1580 and 1640.
the right side of the building features an underground exhibition hall,hosting art exhibitions on a regular basis.The convention hall is on the second floor,where the public meetings and press conferences of the former Macau Municipal Council and the current Institute of Civic and Municipal Affairs are held .A public library is located at the Northwestern part of the second floor,opened in 1929,it is blueprinted after the Portuguese Biblioteca do Convento de Mafra,decorated in classical style. It specialises in collecting foreign language books in dating from 17th century to the 1950s,in particular those of Portuguese history in Africa and the far East.
A Chinese-style Pavilion used to stand on the site of Leal Senado building.That building was then a meeting place for the Portuguese and the Chinese officials,and where the Ming dynasty government would announce regulations to Macau.The Portuguese planned to buy in Pavilion as early as 1583, as well as some Chinese houses behind it. However,it wasn't until 1784 that the Portuguese really purchased it in a price of 80,000 taels .
The Leal Senado building itself was erected afterwards,The building became centre of Macau's politics ever since.Portuguese rallies and celebrations were also held here. Although built in 1784,it was in a style similar to Plain style from 14th to 15th Century Portugal than the Pombaline style that was popular at the time when the Leal Senado was built..A number of institutions were affiliated to the building ,including a museum of Luís Vaz de Camões,a post office,a court and a prison,yet all had moved elsewhere.
The building was severely damaged by a typhoon in 1874, it underwent major renovation work in 1876. In 1887 the building's roof was repaired.It was completely refurbished in 1904.In 1936 the building was damaged again by another typhoon,restoration work began in 1938 and was completed in 1940.
After the handover of Macau to China in 1999 it became the headquarters of the Institute of Civic and Municipal Affairs (Template:Lang-pt).
It became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau in 2005.
See also
- List of oldest buildings and structures in Macau
- Old Supreme Court Building, Hong Kong, which housed the Legislative Council of Hong Kong from 1985 to 2011
References
- Shipp, Steve: Macau, China: A Political History of the Portuguese Colony's Transition to Chinese Rule
External links
- Ola Macau Guide - entry on the Leal Senado building
22°11′36″N 113°32′22″E / 22.19333°N 113.53944°E / 22.19333; 113.53944
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