Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral
Quarter-scale replica of Saint Peter's Basilica, built by a self-taught priest after a professional architect declared the copy impossible.
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About this audio guide
This guide to Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal opens in 1870, when Bishop Ignace Bourget handed architect Victor Bourgeau blueprints of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome and told him to build a copy. It follows Bourgeau's trip to the Vatican, his refusal to take on the job, and the parish priest the bishop sent to Rome instead to quietly measure the basilica for himself. Listen for how a project a professional swore was impossible ended up rising in the heart of Montreal's English-speaking business district.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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