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| Notre-Dame Basilica, Montreal |
Founded in 1642 in the village, then known as
Ville-Marie, had its first
wooden chapel inside the palisade at
Pointe-à-Callière, today the site of Montreal’s major archaeological museum. Dedicated to
Our Lady the Blessed Virgin (“Notre Dame”), the small original chapel was operated at first by the
Jesuits. The Sulpician Fathers in 1657 undertook construction of a larger church.
The Sulpician François Dollier de Casson was its architect, and the present-day Notre-Dame Street served as the original site. Its construction, in
Baroque style was completed between 1672 and 1683. By 1800, Dollier’s church had become too small, and the
Fabrique decided to build the church we know today. To design the new church, the building council engaged the services of the
New York Architect James O’Donnell. O’Donnell opted for the
Gothic Revival style then in vogue in
England and the
United States.
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| Interior - Notre Dame Montreal |
The main construction work took place between 1824 and 1829. One of the most famous names ever to work on
the interior of the basilica was the
architect Victor Bourgeau.
From 1872 to 1879, he tended to the church's main altar, which was
carved from linden wood. The altar was later replaced by a 32-panel
altar cast in bronze and fashioned by another
Montréal architect, Charles Daudelin. The
amazing stained-glass windows in the
Basilique Notre-Dame depict the history of Ville-Marie (Montréal) and were imported from Limoges, France.
The
sky-blue color of the walls is unusual but provides visitors with the
startling feeling of being out in the open under a clear sky.
Sculptor Henri Bouriché produced the large statues and reliefs for the main altar and created the reredos (altarpiece screens) that were designed by
Bourgeau.
The eastern tower holds a 10-bell carillon and the opposite tower is
home to an immense 12-ton bell that has come to be known as "
Le Gros Bourdon (the large bumblebee)", rung for special occasions.
The organ, designed by
French organ maker Casavant, is exquisite and often heard in concert.
The Notre-Dame Church was raised to the status of
basilica by
Pope John Paul II during a visit to
Montreal in 1982. Some of the features of the
Notre-Dame Basilica include a vaulted ceiling with thousands of
24-karat gold stars, detailed
stained-glass windows telling the history of Montreal, life-size wood carvings, and a
pipe organ with more than 7000 pipes. Many of
Montreal’s celebrities have had their weddings and funerals at the Notre-Dame Basilica. Some of these celebrity events include the funeral of
hockey legend, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, the wedding of
Celine Dion and the funeral of including former
Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
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