One of the most beautiful churches in Canada is surely the Cathedral Basilica of Notre Dame, located in the capital city of Canada: Ottawa. The basilica is situated near the Canadian capital buildings, and like them, the church is (primarily) constructed in a gothic revival style -- I say, "primarily," because originally the cathedral began as a neoclassical structure before being changed to a gothic revival one part way through construction. (It is worth pointing out that the gothic revival movement was as yet still very new at this point, so this cathedral is, in fact, an early example of the style.)
The first church on this particular site was the church of St. Jacques, founded in 1832, but the present structure dates to 1841-1846, designed by Fr. John F. Cannon and a local builder, Antoine Robillard.
The spires of the church show a French Canadian influence with its tin covered spires, but it is its richly carved and painted interior which it is justly renowned for.
The basilica is so rich in its details that we cannot possibly show it all; at the same time, we are compelled to include a bit more than we usually do photograph wise. As such, instead of providing a running commentary, we shall simply leave you with the following photos, set into some basic categories.
Enjoy.
EXTERIOR
NAVE
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| A good view of the mezzanine level |
CHANCEL
HIGH ALTAR
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| The altar cross |
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| St. Michael |
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| Angels |
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| Christ the King |
CATHEDRA
AMBO
OTHER DETAILS
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