The Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal features a heavy facade of twin towers that loom over Place d Armes. When the architect James O Donnell began work in eighteen twenty-four, he intended to create a structure that rivaled the great…
Old Montreal Historic Core
This stroll through Montreal's original walled city showcases 18th-century stone buildings, grand historic plazas, and centuries of French colonial heritage starting from Notre-Dame Basilica.
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1. Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal
2. Place d'Armes
The Place d'Armes features a central monument to Paul de Chomedey, the founder of Montreal, standing amidst a complex mix of architectural eras. This public square served as a military parade ground during the seventeenth century,…
3. Place d'Youville
Place d'Youville is defined by the stone ruins of the Youville Stables, a collection of low, rugged warehouses that sit at the center of the square. Built in the eighteen-thirties, these walls once housed the delivery horses for a nearby…
4. Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History
The Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History sits on a series of stone arches that lift the building above the spot where the city began. This is Pointe-à-Callière, built directly over the foundations of Montreal’s first settlement from…
5. Place Royale
Place Royale is defined by the cobblestone expanse and the towering gray stone façade of the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church anchored in the center. Samuel de Champlain founded this spot as a trading post in sixteen forty-two, naming it…
6. Place Jacques-Cartier
Place Jacques-Cartier sits on a steep slope that once served as the main road connecting the Saint Lawrence River to the fortified city above. A bronze column topped by a statue of Horatio Nelson dominates the center of the square. When…
7. Château Ramezay - Musée et site historique de Montréal
The Château Ramezay features a heavy, dark stone exterior and steep gabled roofs, marks of the French colonial style that dominated Montreal in the seventeen hundreds. Claude de Ramezay, the governor of Montreal, built this residence in…
8. Bonsecours Market
The Bonsecours Market features a silver dome that rises above the stone facade like a polished helmet. Built in eighteen forty-seven, it served as the main public market for Montreal and briefly housed the Parliament of the Province of…
9. Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel
The Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel stands out with its copper roof and the statue of the Virgin Mary extending her hands toward the Saint Lawrence River. Marguerite Bourgeoys, a French teacher who arrived in New France in sixteen…