NOTRE-DAME BASILICA OF MONTREAL

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Montréal was built in the Gothic Revival style between 1824 and 1829 by James O'Donnell, an Irish architect who immigrated to New York and whose body is buried beneath one of the basilica's pillars. The interior decoration, the work of French-Canadian architect Victor Bourgeau, dates from 1876 and is a major attraction: abundant sculptures, woodwork and gilding, an altarpiece in the choir, a particularly remarkable black walnut pulpit carved by Louis-Philippe Hébert, a monumental organ by the Casavant brothers of Saint-Hyacinthe, said to be one of the largest in the world (organ concerts), a baptistery decorated by Ozias Leduc, beautiful stained-glass windows in the lower section. Behind the choir is the Sacré-Coeur chapel, rebuilt in 1982 after a fire destroyed some admirable works by Quebec artists. It features a steel vault covered in limewood, and above all a gigantic bronze altarpiece, a contemporary work by Charles Daudelin. The twin towers, the 68-metre-high Tempérance and Persévérance, have long dominated the Montreal landscape.

The Basilica has been the scene of major events, from the funeral of Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier in 1873, one of the Fathers of Confederation and former Prime Minister of Canada, to that of Pierre-Elliot Trudeau in October 2000, the funeral of Maurice Richard, one of field hockey's greatest players, that of filmmaker Gille Carle, not forgetting the wedding of Céline Dion (her husband and impresario, René Angélil, was given a state funeral at the Basilica on January 22, 2016). The great International Eucharistic Congress of 1910 was held here, and Pope John Paul II received children here in 1984.

The basilica is open every day for prayer, confession, meditation and religious services (no entrance fee required). It is also possible to visit the site as a self-guided tour (ticket to be reserved in advance). Finally, for an outstanding sound and light experience, the basilica offers multimedia installations that highlight the works under the rood screens, as well as the superb immersive AURA show created by Moment Factory. The latter has been updated with more music and images. For showtimes and online ticketing, visit the website (aurabasiliquemontreal.com).