Description of the attraction
The Basilica of Our Lady (also known as the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Basilica of Notre Dame) is a Catholic cathedral in the city of Ottawa. The Basilica is located on Sussex Drive and is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Ottawa.
In 1832, on the site where the Basilica of Our Lady is located today, a small wooden church of Saint-Jacques was erected. In 1841, the church was demolished in order to build a larger temple in its place. The new church was designed by Antoine Robillard and Father John Francis Cannon. Initially, it was assumed that the church would be erected in the neoclassical style, but by 1844, when only the lower section of the structure was completed, the leadership of the parish changed, and Father Telmon arrived from France, especially to complete the construction. The Holy Father decided to change the original project and rebuild the temple in the neo-Gothic style popular at that time. It was decided to leave the already finished lower structures unchanged. The main work was completed by 1846. The famous Gothic spiers of the cathedral, designed by Father Damase Dandurand, were not completed until 1866.
In 1847, the parish church received the status of a cathedral and became the seat of Joseph-Bruno Gwides, the first bishop of the diocese of Bytown (renamed the Diocese of Ottawa in 1860), and in 1879 Pope Leo XIII granted the cathedral the status of a Minor Basilica.
It is worth noting the colossal contrast between the rather restrained external appearance of the building and the luxurious interior decoration - Gothic arches towering on both sides of the passage leading from the main entrance to the altar, incredible beauty of stained glass windows, hundreds of sculptures of various religious figures, an exquisite carved altar and much more.
Today the Basilica of Our Lady is one of the oldest religious buildings in Ottawa and one of the main attractions of the capital of Canada. Its twin spiers, covered with tin and sparkling in the sun, and the gilded statue of Our Lady with the Child in her arms are clearly visible from Parliament Hill and its surroundings. Church services are held in both French and English.
In 1990, Our Lady's Basilica was designated a National Historic Landmark of Canada.
