Church of the Madonna della Difesa
Encyclopedia
The Church of the Madonna della Difesa (it: Chiesa della Madonna della Difesa, fr: Église de Notre-Dame-de-la-Défense) is a church in Montreal's Little Italy
, Canada
. It was built by Italian
immigrants to Montreal
, specifically those from Molise
, to commemorate the apparition of the Madonna in La Difesa, in Casacalenda
, Molise. It was designed by Roch Montbriant and Quebec artist Guido Nincheri
. It is Romanesque
in style and laid out in a Greek-cross floorplan. It was inaugurated in 1919.
It is famous for its large cupola
and brick façade, and especially its fresco
s by Guido Nincheri. A particularly well-known fresco depicts Benito Mussolini
; painted before World War II
, it commemorates his signing of the Lateran Accords. A statue in front of the church commemorates "victims of all wars."
Designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002,
it is located at 6800 Henri-Julien Avenue at the corner of Dante Street (Jean-Talon
or Beaubien
metro
stations) in the borough of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. Plaqued in 2005, the Church serves the oldest Italian community in Canada.
Three priests serve at the church, Padre Luca Brancolini, Padre Giuseppe Manzini and Padre Jacques Duplouy; all are members of the Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St.Charles Borromeo
.
Little Italy, Montreal
Montreal's Little Italy is located on Saint Laurent Boulevard between Jean-Talon and St. Zotique Streets and is home to one of Montreal's original Italian Canadian communities...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was built by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
immigrants to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, specifically those from Molise
Molise
Molise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
, to commemorate the apparition of the Madonna in La Difesa, in Casacalenda
Casacalenda
Casacalenda is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 25 km northeast of Campobasso...
, Molise. It was designed by Roch Montbriant and Quebec artist Guido Nincheri
Guido Nincheri
Guido Nincheri was a Canadian artist working mainly in stained glass and fresco.-Biography:Born in Prato, Italy, he studied art in Florence and immigrated to Montreal in 1915 after a short stay in Boston where he decorated the Boston Opera House.Nincheri designed the interior decoration of many...
. It is Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
in style and laid out in a Greek-cross floorplan. It was inaugurated in 1919.
It is famous for its large cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
and brick façade, and especially its fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
s by Guido Nincheri. A particularly well-known fresco depicts Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
; painted before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it commemorates his signing of the Lateran Accords. A statue in front of the church commemorates "victims of all wars."
Designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002,
it is located at 6800 Henri-Julien Avenue at the corner of Dante Street (Jean-Talon
Jean-Talon (Montreal Metro)
Jean-Talon is a station of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the Little Italy district on the border between the boroughs of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.It...
or Beaubien
Beaubien (Montreal Metro)
Beaubien is a station on the Orange Line of the Montreal Metro rapid transit system, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . It is located in the borough of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
stations) in the borough of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. Plaqued in 2005, the Church serves the oldest Italian community in Canada.
Three priests serve at the church, Padre Luca Brancolini, Padre Giuseppe Manzini and Padre Jacques Duplouy; all are members of the Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St.Charles Borromeo
Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St.Charles Borromeo
The Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo was founded in Rome in 1985 by Fr. Massimo Camisasca and obtained pontifical recognition in 1999. It started with a group of seven priests and ten seminarians but now holds about one hundred priests...
.