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The Old Seminary and Notre-Dame Basilica


 Tour route Next section Previous section Back to Notre-Dame Est Boulevard Saint-Laurent Rue Notre-Dame West The Old Seminary and Notre-Dame Place d’Armes Rue Saint-Jacques Des Récollets Around Rue de l’Hôpital Rue Saint-Paul, near Place d’Youville Place d’Youville Western end of the Old Port Pointe-à-Callière and Place Royale Saint-Paul and de la Commune From Saint-Amable to Saint-Gabriel Place Jacques-Cartier Eastern end of the Old Bonsecours From Bonsecours to Berri Rue Notre-Dame East Champ-de-Mars
Notre-Dame Basilica 

Notre-Dame Basilica was opened in 1829, making it the largest religious edifice in North America at the time. The Sulpicians chose a Neo-Gothic style, and assigned the task to a Protestant architect from New York, James O'Donnell. He later converted to Roman Catholocism so that he could be buried beneath "his" church! 

Behind the Basilica is the Sacred Heart Chapel, also known as the "wedding chapel." It was rebuilt in 1980 after a fire. The new chapel incorporates restored elements from the original 1888 decor and a contemporary bronze altarpiece by sculptor Charles Daudelin.

 Notre-Dame Basilica
The interior of the Basilica, redone under the direction of Victor Bourgeau in the 1870s (Bourgeau was also the designer of the Hôtel-Dieu storehouses), features finely sculpted polychrome wood decorated in gold leaf. Complemented sculptures by Louis-Philippe Hébert and Henri Bouriché, and a star-spangled vault, this masterpiece of decorative art attracts thousands of faithful worshippers and visitors every year. 
 
1929 stained glass window
  
The Basilica's sacred art collection along with sculptures, paintings and stained glass belonging to the Basilica and Chapel, all offer visitors an impressive selection of works from the 17th to 20th centuries.

Silver Virgin
Regular concerts, occasionally accompanied on the 1891 Casavant organ and often televised, enhance the Basilica's important role in Montréal cultural life. 
 
 

The Seminary, Montréal’s oldest building 

The Old Seminary and Notre-Dame Basilica 
 

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Last updated: September 2001