Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church in the historic Old Montreal District of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It faces the Place d’Armes Square.
In 1657, the Roman Catholic church arrived in Ville-Marie, now known as Montreal; six years later, the domain of a lord of the island was vested in them. They ruled until 1840.
the parish church of Notre-Dame was built on the site in 1672. By 1824 the congregation had completely outgrown the church, and James O’Donnell, an Irish-American Anglican from New York City, was commissioned to design the new building, with a goal of accommodating a congregation of up to 10,000.
The primary construction took place between 1824 and 1829. The cornerstone was laid at Place d’Armes on September 1, 1824. The sanctuary was finished in 1830, and the first tower in 1841, the second in 1843. O’Donnell designed the towers to be traditionally Gothic, and intended for them to be seen from any point in the city.
Any time I am in a new historic city I love to sketch a church that reflects that history. Montreal has incredible food and amazing historic architecture. It was a beautiful place to sketch.
In the historic Old Montreal district, has charming cobblestone streets, 17th and 18th-century architecture. I went on a ghost tour that also helped outline some of the districts history. The Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History, showed excavations of what lay below the ancient city streets. The actual walls of the old city can be seen in the excavations. It was possible to get lost in the mysterious catacombs.