AYUTTHAYA HISTORICAL RESEARCH



THE DOMINICAN CHURCH OF SAN PETRO





The ruins of the Dominican Church of São Pedro (San Petro) are located within the former Portuguese settlement, off the city island in the southern area of Ayutthaya in the present Samphao Lom Sub-district (1).

Since the early 16th century, there have been contacts between Portugal and Siam. Portuguese ships arrived at the port of Ayutthaya, and with time, Portuguese merchants, shipbuilders, and soldiers of fortune came to settle. As the Portuguese community grew, there was a request for religious support.

The first Dominican missionaries, Friar Jeronimo da Cruz and Sebastiâo da Canto, arrived in Siam in 1567 CE at the behest of the vicar‑general of Goa acting in Malacca, Friar Fernando de Sta. Maria. They were given a residence befitting their status in one of the city's best locations. The Black Friar (2) Jeronimo da Cruz (3), together with two new missionaries, was killed in the Burmese attack on Ayutthaya in 1569 CE [1].

After the first fall of Ayutthaya in 1569 CE, the Bishopric of Malacca and the Dominican Province of India sent new missionaries to Siam to rebuild the devastated Christian community. Among these Dominicans were João Cardoso, João Madeira, Afonso Ximenes, Luís da Fonseca (martyred in 1600 CE during the anti-Christian persecutions under King Naresuan), and João Maldonado (d. 1598). These friars represent the second wave of Dominicans, rebuilding the mission after 1569 CE.

Other late 16th-century Dominican friars residing in Siam were Friars Tomás de Santo Domingo, O.P. and António de São Domingos, O.P.

After King Naresuan (reign 1590-1605 CE) took Lovek (Cambodia) in 1594 CE, he returned with a significant number of captives of all ranks. According to a Jesuit account, two Franciscan friars, Damião da Torre O.F.M. and a companion (name unknown), were said to have been taken captive, alongside other Portuguese clergy (secular priests) like friars Silvestre de Azevedo and Jorge da Mota. When later released, only Silvestre de Azevedo returned to Cambodia. [2]

After the fall of Lovek and the subsequent rebuilding of the Portuguese community in Ayutthaya, the Dominican missionaries in Siam enjoyed the favour of King Naresuan. At their request, several Portuguese captives were released. In 1599 CE, the Dominican friars resident in Siam wrote to the Master General, Fr. Jerónimo Ximenes de S. Domingos, reporting the King’s goodwill and his desire to retain them in his service.

The church of São Pedro for the Dominican sect (locally called Ban Jacobin) was one of the three parishes established in the Portuguese settlement the others were the church of São Paolo for the Jesuit sect (Ban Jesuit) and the church Madre de Deus for the Franciscan sect.




(The ruins of the Dominican Church – Picture taken January 2009 CE)



The Dominican Church was a rectangular structure 50 m long by 40 m wide. The church entrance faced east towards the Chao Phraya River (the old Lopburi River). The base of the building was 1.6 m high. The church contained separate functions, such as a ceremonial hall and a residence for the priest. In front of the church was a cemetery with more than 200 burials. The skeletons uncovered were mainly those of mestizos from intermarriages.


The settlement was destroyed during the Burmese attack on Ayutthaya in 1767 CE. On 21 March 1767 CE, the Dominican parish priest and his Christians surrendered to the Burmese. For two days, the churches and property were protected to persuade the French Bishop Pierre Brigot and his Christians at Ban Pla Het to surrender. After the Bishop surrendered on 23 March, St Joseph Church and seminary, as well as the São Pedro and San Paolo churches, were plundered. The priests were taken prisoner and, in May, sent to Tavoy in Burma.





(The restored foundations of the Dominican Church – Picture taken February 2015 CE)



The excavation of the site


The ruins of the church were excavated between 1984 and 1995 CE by the Fine Arts Department, with funding from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (4) in Lisbon. HRH Princess Galyani Vathana presided over the opening ceremony of the Portuguese Archaeological site on 2 April 1995 CE. Excavation began on 2 March 1984 CE by the Archaeology Section, Unit 1, of the Archaeological Division of the Fine Arts Department, under the responsibility of Mr Patipat Pumpongpaet, in collaboration with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation of Portugal.


The São Pedro area was chosen as the first excavation site in the Portuguese settlement area because it was the easiest to explore. Permission for the excavation could be readily obtained, as the grounds belonged to the Catholic Mission of Thailand. The site had already been classified as of archaeological interest by the Department of Fine Arts in 1935 CE. Moreover, the site could be reached by water and land, adding to the area's tourist value.


The exploration phase required little effort because, at ground level, archaeological artefacts were still visible. A total of 253 skeletal remains of European and Asian men and women, adults and children, were found during the exploration along the fence. Elements visible during the exploration phase included a set of bricks in the southern area, spanning about 5 metres from east to west, and another set in the northwest corner, with an expanse of about two metres. At the top of the hill of São Pedro, brick shards and fragments of Chinese porcelain were also found.





(Picture of the excavation of the ancient mound at San Petro Church, Samphao Lom Subdistrict, Ayutthaya. High-angle shot during the digging and trimming of the tamarind tree by Patipat Pumpongphaet, resulting in a wide-angle image covering the work area. Source: siamportuguesestudy.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-post_12.html by Prof. Bidya Sriwattanasarn retrieved on 13 Dec 2024 CE)



The Dominican church had at least two distinct construction phases. Michel Jacq-Hergoualc'h dates the present construction to the last quarter of the sixteenth century, citing testimony from the French Jesuit Tachard. Rita Bernardes de Carvalho suggests that several phases of construction may have succeeded one another throughout the seventeenth century, as the Christian community using the Dominican church increased during periods of emigration by Christians of various nationalities. [3]

Various artefacts were found within and near the excavation areas, including religious objects: crosses, crucifixes, rosary beads, and coins bearing religious icons architectural finds: baked clay roof tiles and Chinese glazed tiles and utensils: glass bottles, a glass vase, spectacle lenses, a pipe, porcelain, and ornaments. Only a few of these were discovered, some partially found in the burials, placed alongside the corpses, such as bracelets, beads, small bronze bells, and bronze rings.




(View of the burial site of the San Petro Church before the Great Flood of 2011 CE – Picture taken January 2009 CE)



Footnotes:


(1) Freely translated the “Capsized Junk” Sub-district.

(2) The Dominicans are referred to as Blackfriars because of the black cappa or cloak they wear over their white habits. In France, the Dominicans are also known as Jacobins because their first convent in Paris bore the name Saint Jacques, and Jacques is Jacobus in Latin. Their identification as Dominicans gave rise to the pun that they were the Domini Canes or Hounds of the Lord. Members of the order generally carry the letters O.P., standing for Ordinis Praedicatorum, meaning the Order of Preachers, after their names.

(3) The Moors of Siam killed Friar Jerónimo and wounded his companion, who was cared for by the Portuguese who resided there. When the King of Siam learned of what had happened, he ordered that the guilty parties be punished, but Friar Sebastião interceded on their behalf with the Phra Khlang. After these incidents, Friar Sebastião do Canto remained in Siam, where King Chakkraphat particularly favoured him. He brought two more priests of this Congregation from Malacca to help him. In 1569 CE, these three priests were also killed by the Burmese when they laid siege to Ayutthaya. (Seabra, 1994)

(4) The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese private institution of public utility whose statutory aims are in the fields of arts, charity, education, and science. Created by a clause in Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian's will, the Foundation's statutes were approved in 1956 CE. The head office is in Lisbon. The Foundation promotes Portuguese culture abroad and operates a program to preserve evidence of the Portuguese presence globally. (http://www.gulbenkian.pt).


References:


[1] Chumsriphan, Surachai (2002). A Brief History of the Catholic Church in Thailand. Retrieved at www.sspxasia.com.

[2] Loureiro, Vanessa (2005). The Jesuits in Cambodia: a look upon Cambodian religiousness (2nd half of the 16th century to the 1st quarter of the 18th century). Bulletin of Portuguese - Japanese Studies, vol. 10-11, June-December, 2005, pp. 193-222. Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Lisboa, Portugal.

[3] Bernardes de Carvalho, Rita (2006). La présence Portugaise à Ayutthaya (Siam) aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles. Paris.





(Plan of the excavations of the Dominican Church drawn by Patipat Pumpongphaet. Source: Muang Boran Journal.)



Selected PICTURES



Pictures taken October 2008 CE



Pictures taken January 2009 CE



Selected PICTURES



Pictures taken February 2019 CE



MAPS



Map 1 - Detail of Jean de Maguelonne de Courtaulin's drawing “Siam ou Iudia, Capitalle du Royaume de Siam Dessigné sur le lieu Par Mr Courtaulin missre Apostolique de la Chine”, published in 1686 CE by map seller, Franciscus Jollain, the elder (1641-1704 CE).
Map 2 - Detail of a map out of Simon de la Loubere's book "A New Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam by Monsieur De La Loubere ... done out of French, by A.P. Gen. R.S.S." Printed by F.L for Tho. Horne ... Francis Saunders ... and Tho. Bennet ..., 1693 CE.
Map 3 - Detail of Vincenzo Maria Coronelli's drawing "Siam, o Iudia", published in 1695 CE.



Map 4 - Detail of Phraya Boran Ratchathanin's map 1926 CE. Wat Suwandararam, Ayutthaya.
Map 5 - Detail of a 1974 CE Fine Arts Department map. Courtesy Dr Surat Lertlum, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.
Map 6 - Detail of a 1993 CE Fine Arts Department map. Courtesy Khun Supot Prommanot, Director of the 3rd Regional Office of Fine Arts.



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