[Isabel Canhota and Júlio Bucho]
[MDT/Renato Marques]
Over 40 years has passed between these two photographs of Camões Square (Praça de Luís de Camões). The square at Saint Anthony’s Parish, which faces St. Anthony’s Church, was named after Portuguese poet Luís Vaz de Camões. In 2005, the square was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site, together with the Historic Center of Macau. The Chinese name of the square, White Pigeon Nest Square, is unrelated to the Portuguese poet but instead relates to a wealthy man surnamed Marques who lived at the location in the 1900s and had a hobby of raising white pigeons around his villa. The Portuguese name came after a monument to the poet was built in the garden, which is part of the Square of the Camões Grotto. The monument was built at this location. The first residences of the Portuguese in Macau are located in the surrounding areas. There are also several other important heritage-listed sites linked to the square, such as the Casa Garden, the Protestant Chapel (also known as Morrison’s Chapel) and the Old Cemetery from the former East India Company. RM
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