Description of the attraction
The Basilica of Notre Dame de Montreal is a luxurious basilica in the city of Montreal. The impressive structure is located in the heart of Old Montreal on Notre Dame Street and is one of the city's top attractions.
In 1657, the Catholic community of the Sulpicians settled in Ville-Marie, as Montreal was then called. They founded a parish, and then built their own parish church and consecrated it in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos.
At the beginning of the 19th century, it became clear that the old church was no longer able to accommodate all the parishioners and the question of building a new church arose. So, near the old and already rather dilapidated church of the 17th century, the construction of a new church began. Notre Dame Church was built in the neo-Gothic style by the New York architect of Irish origin, James O'Donnell. The cornerstone was laid on September 1, 1824 and by 1830 the main construction work was completed. In the summer of 1830, the old church was demolished.
The famous 70-meter twin towers, designed by the architect John Austell, were built a little later. The western tower, called Perseverance, was erected in 1841, while work on the eastern tower, known as Restraint, was completed in 1843. A huge bell is installed in the western tower, weighing 11 tons, and in the eastern tower there is a carillon with 10 bells. The Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Sacre-Coeur was built in 1891 (although in 1978 it was thoroughly damaged as a result of a fire and was restored only by 1982). Notre Dame de Montreal - became the largest religious building in North America, retaining this status for more than one decade.
The interior of the basilica is striking in its scope and riot of colors - a deep blue dome covered with gold stars, stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes, a carved wooden altar, incredibly beautiful frescoes and an impressive pulpit with a twisted staircase. The basilica is also famous for its magnificent organ, created by the famous Canadian company Casavant Frères in 1891 and numbering 7000 pipes.
In 1982, during a visit to the city of Pope John Paul II, the temple received the status of a "basilica". In 1989, the Basilica of Notre Dame de Montreal was designated a National Historic Landmark of Canada.
