Largo do Senado is, alongside the Ruins of São Paulo and the A-Ma Temple, one of the busiest places in Macau, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has been plaguing the world for over two months, it has weak self-image.
We went up to the balcony of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Macau to have a wide view over the square. We can see from the old Leal Senado to almost the church of São Domingos. This corridor, once a car traffic street, is now a sea of small black and white limestone, which was an undulating movement, particularly fascinating for photography.
Basically what can be seen stepping on the white and black limestone are the feet of the residents of the territory. There are no tourists, nor can they enter Macau. Therefore, it is easy to obtain singular images like the ones shown in the photo report: one person at a time, all with masks on their faces.
It is hard to believe that in the middle of lunch the movement in the city center is this, but the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 made sure that it was so. Macau has had no cases of infection for several days. In total, there have been 45 cases so far, the vast majority imported. It is felt that the population has understood the “new normal” and succeeds, little by little, redoing its life.
The heritage
The Portuguese sidewalk appeared in 1842 by the hand of prisoners and the mind of the Governor of arms of Castelo de São Jorge, in Lisbon. The idea of making a pavement of small black and white stones, in a zigzag pattern, in the fortress and around the castle to mark the way, was so successful that visits to the Castle increased.
In 1848, the project aimed at covering the entire Praça do Rossio, in Lisbon, was approved. After 323 days, an area of 8712 square meters called Mar Largo, with drawings to honor the Portuguese discoveries, was completed.
After that, “the stone was made sea” and set out to cover the tours from North to South of Portugal. Beyond borders, where the Portuguese passed, this mark was also left on the ground – Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique or Macau are proof of that.
