Notre Dame Cathedral of Montreal is located in the Quebec region in the historic part of Montreal. This one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world has another name - the Basilica of Notre Dame de Montreal.
The unique building of the Cathedral, erected in the neo-Gothic style, amazes tourists and travelers not only with its huge bell towers of about 70 meters, called, according to medieval customs, Restraint and Perseverance, but also with the striking decoration of the temple, unsurpassed organ concerts and unforgettable light shows. This majestic building rightfully belongs to the title of the most beautiful church not only within Canada, but also throughout the entire North American continent.
History
It is worth noting that a small church was built on the site of the present grandiose church building back in 1672 with funds raised by the Catholic community. She was consecrated and named in honor of the Mother of God. For a long time, parishioners from all over the city gathered here for divine services, since this Roman Catholic church was the only one in Montreal.
Over time, the city began to grow at an accelerated pace, and soon it was difficult for all parishioners to fit in the old cramped church. In 1824, it was decided to build a more spacious cathedral that could accommodate everyone who wants to listen to the church mass.
Cathedral architect
The construction and design of the new basilica was undertaken by the famous American architect James O. Donnell. Irish by birth and Protestant in his faith, he was so fascinated by the results of the construction of the basilica that, dying, he converted to the Catholic faith only to be buried in the crypt of the erected church.
Building
They worked on the creation of the grandiose temple structure for several decades, and only in 1872 the main construction work was completed. It took almost seven more years to finish the building and to create a unique painting inside the Cathedral, and in the next nine years it was decided to build a church chapel as well. The final completion of construction and the inauguration of the basilica for visiting divine services took place in 1888. It took half a century to build a grandiose structure, and the result exceeded expectations.
In a huge Catholic church, 9 thousand people can listen to Mass at the same time. Everyone who first appears within the walls of Notre Dame Cathedral in Canada literally takes their breath away from the splendor they saw. Being the main decoration of Montreal, the Notre Dame de Montreal Basilica is included in the honorary list of the National Treasure of Canada.
Architecture
The shape of Notre Dame de Montreal has many similarities to the legendary Notre Dame de Paris. However, the Montreal Cathedral is by no means a copy of the basilica of the same name in Paris. On the contrary, the original architectural ideas of the Canadian temple can be seen as an addition to the image of the famous Parisian church building. The facade of the Cathedral is decorated with three figures, each of which is the personification of Canada, the province of Quebec and the city of Montreal.
A unique attraction of Notre Dame de Montreal can be considered the bell "Saint Jean Baptiste" delivered from Britain, which is famous not only for its huge size and weight of more than 10 tons, but also for its loudness. The bell ringing of "Saint Jean Baptiste" is heard at a distance of as much as 25 km. No wonder he belongs to the title of the loudest bell in North America. Thunderous bells ring out every Sunday, calling the parishioners of Montreal to Mass.
Interior
The vaults of the cathedral have a unique blue color. The stars sparkling in gold give the vaults a special charm. The main part of the church's interior was designed by Canadian artist Victor Burgo. The real decoration of the altar is the carved wooden sculptures of the prophets, for the manufacture of which rare woods were used. During prayer, parishioners light candles in front of the altar on semicircular supports. A huge number of burning candles in the huge cathedral create a spiritualized solemn atmosphere.
Near the main altar is the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, most of which was destroyed by a fire in 1982. After the fire, the altar was replaced with one cast in bronze. Stained-glass windows made especially for decorating the windows of the Basilica in the French city of Limoges give the Cathedral an unforgettable charm.
Here, skilled craftsmen tirelessly created a magnificent mosaic, with the help of which images of episodes of the religious history of Montreal were obtained. These images are fundamentally different from the traditional scenes from the Holy Scriptures telling about biblical stories, which are used to decorate other similar Catholic churches.
Notre Dame Cathedral today
The famous cathedral organ was made by the well-known Canadian company "Kasavan". From time to time within the walls of the Cathedral there are concerts of organ music, a symphony orchestra and a church choir. Sometimes a fantastic musical light show is staged here, highlighting the splendor and solemnity of this unique church.
Celebrities often visit the Cathedral. The wedding ceremony of Celine Dion and her spouse took place here; Blessed John Paul II was within the walls of the Cathedral.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with all the Attractions of Canada.
