Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral or Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde is a small replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the third-largest church in Quebec. The cathedral was built by order of the second bishop of Montreal, Ignace Bourget, to replace the Saint-Jacques Cathedral that burned down in a fire. His desire to strengthen friendly relations with the Pope determined the appearance of the new cathedral. More than one architect rejected leading the project; many doubted that they would be able to copy the masterpiece. The cathedral construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1894.

A self-taught architect, Victor Bourgeau, went to the Vatican before the construction was launched to study the works of the great Italian masters. Struck by what he saw, the architect offered his design for the cathedral to be used instead. However, on the insistence of Bishop Ignace Bourget, Bourgeau agreed to copy the Vatican masterpiece. The construction took 16 years; another eight were spent on finishing works and decorations. The work was suspended from time to time due to a lack of budget.

The cathedral is famous for its statues. The upper part of the facade is decorated with 13 statues of saints who patronize 13 Montreal parishes. The sculptures of John the Baptist and St. Patrick are of particular interest. They all were created by sculptor Olindo Gratton between 1892 and 1898. Unique works of art are located within the cathedral walls: the crucifix sculpted by Philippe Hebert, the statue of Mary, Queen of the World as the symbol of the Cathedral Marie-Reine-du-Monde. At the temple entrance, you can also see a monument to the proponent of the construction of the cathedral, Ignace Bourget.

The luxury of the interior of the Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral stuns all visitors. Paintings and frescoes represent scenes from the lives of saints and the history of the city. You can also see a sumptuous organ, an Episcopal chapel (the tomb of the founder of the cathedral and Montreal archbishops), an altar (a replica of the Roman canopy, created in 1900 by an Italian master), a decorated ceiling, and wood carvings. Everything here is filled with awe and grandiosity.

A heavy iron cross, set at an impressive height of 73 meters, crowned the dome of the Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral. It was replaced by an aluminum one in 1958. However, the weight of the dome is still about half a ton.