Completed in 1829, the 3,800-seat Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal is a colossal neo-Gothic church with a spectacular interior of breathtaking blue vaulted ceiling studded with thousands of 24-karat gold stars, ornate pine and walnut carvings and attractive stain-glass windows from Limoges, commemorating episodes of Montreal's history.
Behind the main altar is the Sacre-Coeur Chapel (Sacred Heart Chapel), destroyed by fire in 1978 and rebuilt in five styles. Its dominant feature is the huge modern bronze sculpture that forms the backdrop for the altar, cast in bronze by Charles Daudelin with 32 panels representing birth, life, and death. In the evening, the darkened nave is transformed into a backdrop for a state-of-the-art light-and-sound show, which depicts the history of Montreal and showcases the church's extraordinary art.
There are guided tours in English at various times through the day. Sound-and-light shows were initiated recently, with two performances nightly Tuesday through Saturday.
Basilica Notre Dame & Chapelle du Sacre Coeur
