St Paul's Cathedral

The ruins of St. Paul's cathedral sits atop of the hill near the A' Famosa fortress remains.

The site was originally occupied by the "Chapel of the Annunciation", which was built in 1521 by Duarte Coelho in gratitude to the Virgin Mary for saving his life in the South China sea. In 1548 the Archbishop of Goa in India handed over the church to the Jesuits, who began renovating it in 1566. The present building was completed in 1590, with the tower on the right side of the sacristy added in 1593.

The cathedral is renowned as the place where the body of Francis Xavier, the pioneering Catholic missionary of Southeast Asia, was laid to rest for a period of eight months after his death at sea (from arch 22nd, 1553 to December 11th, 1553). The open grave in the church, now covered by a wire mesh, marks the place of Francis' temporary burial.

The cathedral also double as a lighthouse navigating ship to the Malacca port.