Thursday, August 21, 2014

Montreal's St-Patrick Basilica

One of the best hidden treasures of Montreal, the St-Patrick Basilica sits on René-Lévesque boulevard in what is now the business district. Back when it was built in 1843, it overlooked the homes of its Irish parishioners in Griffin town. Now hidden between towering skyscrapers, it is a treasure waiting to be explored and admired.

Keep in mind that it is still an active place of worship. Do not walk in there and blab away as if you were at Marineland, show respect and keep it down. It is also important to know that you cannot take photographs while services are being performed. Go outside and shoot the building and its surroundings while you wait.

The Basilica was used in the movie "The Punisher" that came out in 2008.

The facade of the church.









There are 150 saints depicted throughout the church.

My favourite depiction of Joan of Arc to this day.








Each of the church's bench has a hand sculpted decoration at the corner.

Detail of the bench hand made sculpture.



The organ was built in 1895 by Casavant.

 I hope you enjoyed this little visit and that you get the chance to go explore it for yourself.

Gerry  :)