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The
Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal, located in the borough of Ville-Marie in
Montreal, is the mother church of Montreal. A veritable gallery of religious
art, the richness of its ornaments has no equivalent in Montreal.
It’s
one of the most precious buildings in Quebec's religious heritage. Under the
glory of the Sulpicians, then lords of the island of Montreal, the church went
through many stages of construction.
The
first decorative elements of the church, that of the middle of the 19th
century, show a layout very different from what we find today. The apse wall of
the sanctuary, very flat as was the tradition of English Gothic churches, then
presented a large glass roof. Six paintings, from the old church, were arranged
on either side of the latter. For the sake of economy, the high altar of the
old church had been placed in the sanctuary; this altar is now in the side
chapel dedicated to Saint Marguerite d'Youville, against the west wall. The
columns of the nave were painted in trompe l'oeil imitating veined marble, a
work executed by an Italian artist from New York, Angelo Pienovi.
Between
1870 and 1900, the interior decoration of the church was completely redesigned.
This second phase of decoration will be the work of the priest Victor Rousselot
but especially of Victor Bourgeau, the most active Quebec architect of the
time. The style and symbolism of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris strongly
impressed Father Rousselot during his trip to France. He therefore suggested
that the architect Bourgeau draw inspiration from it. It is above all the
colors chosen, the patterns of gold leaf in the vault and the columns that
remind us of the Sainte-Chapelle. This polychrome decoration is entirely made
up of wooden sculptures.
Today, Basilica receives
hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, attracted by its neo-Gothic splendour,
as well as its historical treasures: carved wood, paintings, stained glass,
sculptures, a remarkable collection of sacred art from the 17th to the 20th
century. Many weddings are celebrated there. In the chapel of the Sacred Heart,
rebuilt in 1980 after a fire, there is a bronze altarpiece by Charles Daudelin.
You can visit the Basilica
during visits of about twenty minutes, or two-hour conference visits. We can
then admire the interior, the finesse of the details. Notre-Dame Basilica was
recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1989.
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