Cathedral of Our Lady of Montreal (Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal)
Built: 1824-1843 Designed by: James O'Donnell Renovated: 1841-1843 by John Ostell Renovated: 1882-1883 by Louis Morin and Victor Bourgeau Renovated: 1882-1887 by Victor Bourgeau and Alcibiade Leprohon Type: Holy Place Stories: 3 Maximum Height: 226 feet / 69 meters Location: 100 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montréal, Canada
O ne of Canada's oldest and most majestic places of worship, Notre Dame Basilica is appropriately regal and ornate while maintaining its dignity. Its facade is a harmonious union of French Catholic high architecture and quiet Canadian civility.
The real drama is inisde, where a ceiling painted midnight blue is punctuated with gold stars. The 1870 design by Curé Rousselot and Victor Bourgeau hangs over a sanctuary that is alive with color. Instead of being shades of stone grey, statues and their niches are decorated in vibrant colors which help them visually leap from the walls to tell their stories. The high altar is a gingerbread masterpiece with a castle of spires climbing toward heaven and the figure of Jesus' crucifixion dramatically illuminated at the center.
Even the floor is decorated in a blue hue that goes with the arched ceiling and blue backlit chancel. The unifying effect draws the eye towards the front of the church and leaves the viewer with Heavenly thoughts. That is, if the viewer can take his eyes of the magnificently adorned columns. Each one a bundle of smaller columns with its own color overlaid with gold geometric patterns.
A church has been at this location since 1672. It was founded by Catholic missionaries who settled the predecessor to Montréal, Ville-Marie, in what was then New France. The original church, designed by Father François Dollier de Casson sufficed for the first 150 years. Then a New York architect named James O'Donnell was brought to Montreal to build a new church.
O'Donnell was a big fan of the Gothic Revival style and this basilica is considered to be one of his masterpieces. Alas, he didn't live to see his labor of love completed. O'Donnel died in 1830, but not before he changed religions. That allowed him to be buried underneath the church he designed.
After O'Donnell's death, John Ostell was brought in to complete the job. He is the one responsible for Perseverance and Temperance, the nicknames given to the church's twin towers.
Another set of architects, Perreault and Mesnard, also had a hand in shaping this building into what we see today. They are the ones behind the Sacred Heart Chapel. The addition of this chapel allowed smaller services to be held without monopolizing the rest of the sanctuary.
Architect: James O'Donnell
Architect: John Ostell
Interior: Victor Bourgeau
The only person buried in the church's crypt is James O'Donnell, the building's architect.
1672: Construction of the first church in this location began.
1683: Construction of the original church was completed.
1824: Construction began
1829: Construction of the sanctuary was completed.
1830: The architect died.
1830: The old church sanctuary was demolished.
1841: The western church bell tower was completed.
1841: The eastern church bell tower was completed.
1843: The old church bell tower was demolished.
1873: The funeral of Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier is held here.
1879: The interior was completed.
December 8, 1891: The Sacré-Coeur Chapel was completed.
December 7, 1978: The church is badly damaged by an arsonist. The fire destroyed the Sacré-Coeur Chapel (Sacred Heart Chapel).
1980: Reconstruction of the Sacré-Coeur Chapel began.
1982: Reconstruction of the Sacré-Coeur Chapel was completed.
1984: Pope John Paul II visited the basilica.
1994: Popular music singer Celine Dion was married to René Angélil here.
October, 2000: The funeral of Pierre-Elliott Trudeau is held here.
**The stained glass windows, which instead of depicting scenes from the Bible, show historic moments in the development of Montreal.
**Three statues in the building's facade. They are Mary, John the Baptist, and Joseph. Together they represent Montreal, Quebec, and Canada.
Did You Know?
**Victor Bourgeau, who is responsible for the basilica's spectacular interior, also worked on the nearby Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral.
**The large bell in the bell tower weighs 24,000 pounds. It was forged in England.
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