Cathedral of the Queen of the World Montréal, Canada
Built in the late 19th century in honor of the Virgin Mary, this cathedral is a scaled-down homage to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Overview
No one who has seen both will confuse Montréal's "Mary Queen of the World" Cathedral with St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, but a scaled-down homage was the intention of Bishop Ignace Bourget, who oversaw its construction after the first Catholic cathedral burned to the ground in 1852.
Construction lasted from 1875 to 1894, its start delayed by the Bishop's desire to place it not in Francophone east Montréal but in the heart of the Protestant Anglophone west.
The resulting structure covers less than a quarter of the area of its Roman inspiration. Most impressive is the 76m (252-ft.) high dome, about a third of the size of the original. The statues standing on the roofline represent patron saints of the region, providing a local touch.
The interior is less rewarding visually than the exterior, but the high altar is worth the visit.