Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec

For other places referred to as Notre Dame, see Notre Dame (disambiguation).
Notre-Dame de Québec

Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec
Notre-Dame de Québec
Location within the province of Quebec
46°48′49.61″N 71°12′21.97″W / 46.8137806°N 71.2061028°W / 46.8137806; -71.2061028
Location 16, rue de Buade
Quebec City, Quebec
G1R 4A1
Country Canada
Denomination Roman Catholic
History
Founded 1647 (1647)
Dedication Virgin Mary
Past bishop(s) François de Laval
Architecture
Status Basilica cathedral
Functional status Functional
Designated 1989
Architect(s) Jean Baillairgé
Architectural type Neoclassical
Completed 1843
Administration
Archdiocese Quebec
Official name Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Cathedral National Historic Site of Canada
Designated 1989

The Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec ("Our Lady of Quebec City"), located at 16, rue de Buade, Quebec City, Quebec, is the primatial church of Canada and the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec, the oldest in the Americas north of the Spanish colonies in Florida and New Mexico.[1][2][3] It is also the parish church of the oldest North American parish north of Mexico and was the first north of Mexico to be elevated to the rank of minor basilica, by Pope Pius IX in 1874. It is a National Historic Site of Canada,[4] and located within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Historic District of Old Québec.[5]

History

Located on this site since 1647, the cathedral has twice been destroyed by fire throughout the centuries.

A previous iteration of the church was destroyed during the Siege of Quebec in 1759. It was rebuilt from plans by Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry draughted in 1743. The belltower, however, was designed by Jean Baillairgé, who also oversaw construction. The interior was designed by Jean Baillairgé and his son François from 1786–1822. In 1843, François' son, Thomas, suggested a reconstruction of the façade to resemble the church of Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, resulting in the finest Neo-classic façade in Québec. The cathedral was richly decorated with impressive works of art: baldaquin, canopy, episcopal throne dais, stained glass windows, paintings, and chancel lamp (a gift of Louis XIV).

In 1922 the church was again gutted by fire, and restored by architects Maxime Roisin and Raoul Chenevert.[6] Raoul Chenevert added a presbytery beside the Cathedral in 1931-32[7]

In 2014 the cathedral celebrated its 350th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, a holy door was constructed—the first outside Europe and only the seventh in the world. The holy door was opened on December 8, 2013 and remained open until December 28, 2014, after which it was sealed until 2025.[8][9]

National historic site

The cathedral was designated as a national historic site of Canada in 1989 because:

of its long and close associations with the history of New France;

its influence on subsequent ecclesiastical architecture and interior decoration in Québec.

— Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, 1989[10]

Four governors of New France and the bishops of Quebec are buried in the crypt, including François de Laval, Quebec's first bishop.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ San Miguel Mission
  2. ↑ Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
  3. ↑ https://plus.google.com/113637369911298747648/about?gl=ca&hl=en
  4. ↑ Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Cathedral National Historic Site of Canada. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  5. ↑ GCatholic.org.
  6. ↑ "biography in Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada 1800-1950". Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  7. ↑ http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/architects/view/1614 Raoul Chenevert (architect)
  8. ↑ Scrivener, Leslie (2013-06-03). "Holy Door opens in Quebec, the first outside of Europe". thestar.com. The Star. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  9. ↑ Kerwin, Cassandra (2015-01-07). "Holy Door at the Basilica now sealed". Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph Online. Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-05-19.
  10. ↑ http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=17441&pid=0

External links

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