The oldest church on the Island of Montreal, La Visitation Church was built at the Sault-au-Récollet rapids on the northern edge of the island between 1749 and 1752. 

Over the generations, many elements of the interior decoration of the church have been modified or replaced by different craftsmen and architects. The most recent changes date from the 1950s, when reforms to the liturgy brought transformations to the physical configuration of many churches.  The furniture was modified, and a more colourful vision of the interiors was realized.  The church building was classified as a cultural asset in 1974 and the complete property was declared a protection area in 1975 by the province of Quebec.

The restoration of the interior of the sanctuary was carried out in two phases.  The first phase involved cleaning, repairing, and finishing all the plaster and wood surfaces on the upper portion of the walls of the 1750 sanctuary, its vault and the pulpit.  The second phase recreated the original faux finishes on the lower portion of the walls and in the 1850 Ostell bay which includes the rood screen, chapels, altarpieces, baptistery, and interior doors.  The faux finishes on the lower portion of the walls imitate various types of wood (mahogany, ebony, and maple) and were originally applied around 1839 to the bases and crosspieces of the church walls.  Stripping subsequent layers of finished not being a viable technical solution, this faux wood decor had to be recreated.

·         Grands Prix du Design 16 edition : Gold Certification. Category: Heritage Preservation in Interior Design (2023)

·         Award Winner of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (2023) 

·         Restoration of Église de la Visitation Maestria Award, Conseil des métiers d'arts du Québec (2021) 

·         Prix d'excellence, Conseil du patrimoine religieux du Québec (2018)

What were the key challenges?

This project is one phase of a comprehensive restoration initiative aimed at restoring the church to its former glory.  But what decorations and what previous eras are we talking about exactly? A preliminary study aimed at clearly documenting the rich history and multiple iterations of the building’s design was carried out with the support of archival documents from the Parish, the Archdiocese, and the Ministry of Culture.  Various expert studies, such as site inspections and stratigraphic studies of paint finishes corroborated the results of our iconographic research. This rigorous examination confirmed the value of restoring the interiors of the sanctuary as it existed at the beginning of the 19th century.

What materials did you choose and why? 

The restored colours and finishes, essentially composed of contrasts of white and gold leaf, respect the great period of ornamentation work extending from the 1760s to the 1830s. The restoration of the original finishes permits an appreciation of finely executed carving and carefully applied paint finishes.

One can, for example, discern the details of horns of plenty containing vines leaves and grapes, details which had been lost under multiple coats of paint for more than a century. In a similar vein, carved details illustrating the Stations of the Cross have been restored. The work of the faux-wood finishes lends an aesthetic coherence to the sanctuary, creating a soothing atmosphere and a space of gentle dignity.