Notre-Dame Basilica (Montreal)
| Notre-Dame Basilica | |
|---|---|
Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal (French) | |
The main frontage on Place d'Armes | |
Notre-Dame Basilica | |
| 45°30′16″N 73°33′22″W / 45.50444°N 73.55611°W | |
| Location | 110 Notre-Dame Street West Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1T2 |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | basiliquenotredame.ca |
| History | |
| Status | Minor basilica |
| Dedication | Mary |
| Dedicated | July 1, 1829 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | James O'Donnell (exterior) Victor Bourgeau (interior) |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1823 |
| Completed | 1865 (facade) |
| Construction cost | £47,446 (1832) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 79 metres (259 ft) |
| Width | 46 metres (151 ft) |
| Height | 60 metres (200 ft) |
| Materials | Stone, which came from the Tanneries quarry in Griffintown |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Montreal |
| Official name | Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Church / Basilica National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1989 |
The Basílica of Our Lady of Montreal, also known as Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal (French: Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal, lit. 'Basilica of Our Lady of Montreal'), is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church in the historic Old Montreal district of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It is located at 110 Notre-Dame Street West, on the corner of Saint Sulpice Street. It is situated next to the Saint-Sulpice Seminary and faces the Place d'Armes square.
Pope John Paul II raised the shrine to the status of Minor Basilica via his Pontifical decree Qui Semper on 15 February 1982. The decree was signed and notarized by Cardinal Agostino Casaroli.
The interior of the church is amongst the most dramatic in the world and is regarded as a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture. The vaults are coloured deep blue and decorated with golden stars, and the rest of the sanctuary is decorated in blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold. It is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings and several religious statues. Unusual for a church, the stained glass windows along the walls of the sanctuary do not depict biblical scenes, but rather scenes from the religious history of Montreal. It also has a Casavant Frères pipe organ, dated 1891, which comprises four keyboards, 99 stops using electromagnetic action and an adjustable combination system, 7000 individual pipes, and a pedal board.
Approximately 11 million people visit Notre-Dame Basilica every year, making it one of the most visited monuments in North America. In 2023, Notre-Dame was named the 6th most beautiful building in the world by Angi, a home service publication which analyzes TripAdvisor reviews. The publication ranked Notre-Dame de Paris second and Barcelona's Sagrada Família first.