Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral Montréal

“Nestled among office buildings in Montréal’s downtown core, lies this cathedral, the third largest church in Québec. Built at the end of the 19th century in the heart of what was then the city's Anglo-Protestant sector, this ornate Renaissance cathedral is replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, a departure from the Gothic Revival style so popular at the time. Covering nearly 4,700 square meters, the cathedral is built in the shape of a Latin cross. In 1919, Pope Benedict XV conferred the title of Minor Basilica on Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur Cathedral, renamed to Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral in 1955.” —mtl.org

I ended up inside Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral purely by chance. This place wasn’t on our list of places to visit when me and my friends went to Montréal, but a couple having their engagement shoot in front of the building did make us stop to see the towering architecture they were using as their backdrop. My friend got curious and went inside the building to look around and came out a couple of minutes later saying that it’s actually a big cathedral inside. 

And so I also got curious and went in to check the place out. The view that greeted me the moment I stepped into the main hall was nothing short of amazing. The inside of the cathedral is enormous (at least bigger than what I expected it to be) and the architecture is pretty remarkable. There’s a familiarity that I couldn’t quite put my finger on but after reading that this cathedral is a replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, it kind of make sense. Maybe that’s what I was reminded of when seeing this place. 

There were other tourists like me who were admiring the architecture of the cathedral and there were others who came to sit on the pews or light a candle and pray. Everybody was honoring the quiet stillness inside the cathedral which I found comforting.

Although my visit to the Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral was unplanned, I’m glad that I got to see this place because this cathedral was one of the more impressive architecture I saw during my Montréal trip. 

 

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Dorchester Square Montréal

— Photo Diary —

Made an impromptu stop at Dorchester Square when me and my friends were exploring downtown Montréal because my friends had to sit down to take calls. We were there around 2:30 pm on a Friday and there were a good number of people walking and sitting around the square. Looked like people were trying to enjoy the great 20°C weather while it lasts. Also saw a couple of people feeding the birds and squirrels around the square which made a good entertainment and photo subjects for me.

 

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The Ring Montréal

The Ring is a 30-meter wide stainless steel circle installation that is sitting snugly in between two buildings and on top of a staircase, giving it the illusion as if it is floating mid air. Completed in 2022, the installation is part of the revitalization project of Esplanade Place Ville Marie, an urban gathering space in the downtown Montreal’s business district. This magnificent structure was designed by award-winning landscape architects Claude Cormier + Associés and it took nearly two years to completion. 

“The Ring, commissioned by Ivanhoé Cambridge, is a customized art installation and a one-of-a-kind reflection of the symbolic importance of Place Ville Marie, an icon of Montreal’s modernity. The suspended metal ring is a site-specific installation that conveys monumentality and humility. It highlights a unique visual perspective where the McGill University campus, the architecture of the Victoria Hospital, the steep slope of Mount Royal, and the Mount Royal Cross follow one another. The Ring frames this axis of strength and contributes to the physical, symbolic, and functional articulation of Place Ville Marie pole, which marked the birth of the modern city.

This artistic installation reinforces the timeless character of the whole of Place Ville Marie through a gesture of great sobriety, of an elegance that gives a dimension of durability. The Ring is a unifying project, a new element of the Montréalité, a proof of love for Place Ville Marie, downtown Montreal and Mount Royal.” —Art Public Montréal

 

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Pizza Il Focolaio

Pizza Il Focolaio is a wood burning oven pizzeria in Montréal that has been around since 1984. Taking inspiration from the old country, the pizzeria serves authentic Italian pizza with the freshest top of the line ingredients that are made daily. They also have a whopping 77 different pizza on the menu, giving customers plenty of options to choose from.

Ended up at this place because of my friend’s recommendation. She’s been to this pizzeria before and thought their pizza is amazing so she took me here during our Montréal trip. The place was busy when we went for a visit during peak lunch hour rush on a Thursday. There was even quite a long line forming outside the restaurant of people waiting for a table. We ended up waiting for about 15 minutes or so before getting a table. The waiting time wasn’t too bad to be honest. And if you don’t want to wait, you can always order to go and eat it at the park across the street where they have limited tables and seatings available.

The restaurant itself is not too small. There are about 46 seatings inside the restaurant and every table was occupied when we walked in (I took the pictures on this post after the lunch rush was over and when we’re bout to leave so it’s a bit emptier). It’s pretty loud inside with chatter from every table filling up the room. Most patrons looked like office workers who were enjoying their lunch breaks. There are also more seatings at the patio area in front of the restaurant that’s perfect for a good weather day if you choose to sit outside.

Caesar Salad CA$18.50 | 8.5/10

Romaine lettuce with cesar dressing*, croutons, Parmigiano-Reggiano. *Cesar dressing (contains anchovies, mustard, milk and egg in sauce)

For starters, we ordered the Caesar Salad to share. It was fresh and nicely seasoned. Not too salty or peppery or cheesy. Very balanced. The portion was quite generous too.

No.23 Campagnola CA$22.25 | 9.5/10

Sauce, mushrooms, onions, spicy pancetta (Italian bacon), mozzarella, black olives. Meat pizza.

I ordered this one and I have to say this was probably one of the best pizza I’ve ever had in recent times. The pizza was cooked really well with that wood burning aroma whiffing off of the crust that’s slightly charred on different spots. The texture was nice, chewy and there’s a slight bounce to the bite. All the toppings were also evenly cooked and sitting nicely on top of the gooey mozzarella. The portion is quite big and generous and I ended up not being able to finish the whole thing. But I did half eat of the pan before feeling really stuffed and so did my friend with her pizza order.

No.68 A La Griglia CA$22.25 | 9/10

Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, onions, artichokes, mushrooms, green and red peppers), fresh garlic, Italian herbs, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano. Vegetables pizza.

My friend actually ordered this one and I have the same comment about the overall pizza like the Campagnola. I think their pizza is really solid and you can just order whichever pizza that have the toppings that you like and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it. 

As I was editing the photos and vlog from this place, I was reminded once again on how good this meal was and ended up craving for this pizza again. And now after I’ve tried it, I can totally see why my friend likes this place so much. Their pizza is really THAT good. Next time I’m in Montréal, I would definitely come back to this place again.

 

Pizza Il Focolaio

Address: 1223 R. du Square-Phillips, Montréal, QC H3B 3E9, Canada
Telephone: +15148791045
Hours:
Monday to Wednesday 11:00 am—8:30 pm
Thursday 11:00 am—9:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am—9:30pm
Saturday 12:00 pm—9:30pm
Closed on Sundays

Instagram: @ilfocolaio

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Phillips Square Montréal

Phillips Square is a historic public square located in Downtown Montréal, Québec, Canada. Established in 1842, The Square was a gift from Alfred Phillips to the city of Montreal in what was then a wealthy residential area in the city. The first downtown stores were actually located around this Square including the famous Birks jewelry store and The Bay department store that still exist until today. 

Nestled in the middle of tall buildings, you can find greeneries and dry deck fountain at this charming square making it a nice area to walk or sit around at. I was there during early fall on a Thursday around noon and spotted a lot of people enjoying their lunch breaks at the Square. (There are a couple of restaurants around the area including Pizza Il Focolaio where I had the best pizza in recent times and probably one of the best food I had during my Montréal trip). There are plenty of seatings and a couple of tables with umbrellas that are spread out around the area which serve as an encouragement for people to spend more time at the Square. This is the perfect place to go when you want to walk around, get some fresh air or sunbathe for a bit, especially on a nice weather day.

“The square features a bronze monument of King Edward VII, who ruled from 1901 to 1910. He visited Montreal in 1860, while he was still the Prince of Wales, and opened the Victoria Bridge. The statue was designed by Louis-Philippe Hébert and was erected in 1914. The four allegorical figures at the base of the monument represent Peace, the Four Founding Nations, Abundance, and Liberty.” — Wikipedia

 

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