Place d’armes

Place d'Armes, three centuries of architecture

The Montreal audio-guided tour takes you to the heart of the Ville-Marie borough, on Place d'Armes. An essential site of Old Montreal, laid out as early as the end of the seventeenth century, it tells on its own three centuries of architecture, in a concentration of styles unique in North America.

From the Sulpicians to the modern city

In 1693, the square belonged to the Sulpicians, a religious order dedicated to Saint Sulpice, founded in Paris in 1645 and sent to Montreal to open a seminary. The Old Seminary, adjoining Notre-Dame Basilica, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Around the square stand edifices from every era, from the old seminary to the skyscrapers of the early twentieth century.

What there is to see

At the centre of the square stands a monument to Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, founder of Montreal. All around, Notre-Dame Basilica, the Old Seminary, the Bank of Montreal building and the first skyscrapers form a true panorama of the city's architectural history. It is one of the finest ensembles of Old Montreal.

Practical information

Place d'Armes is in Old Montreal, facing Notre-Dame Basilica, in the Ville-Marie borough. It is freely accessible at all hours and on the level. The monuments around it, including the basilica, keep their own hours.

When was Place d'Armes laid out?

It was laid out as early as the end of the seventeenth century. In 1693, it belonged to the Sulpicians, a religious order that opened a seminary in Montreal.

What can you see on Place d'Armes?

You see Notre-Dame Basilica, the Old Seminary, the Bank of Montreal building, the first skyscrapers and a monument to the founder Maisonneuve.