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Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and parish church located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. A Gothic Revival style building designed by Joseph Connolly. It is considered Connolly's best work. To serve a Roman Catholic parish of predominantly German settlers the church was built between 1875 and 1883. The monumental church contains decorative carving and stained glass executed by skilled craftsmen.〔(Church of the Immaculate Conception ) from Ontario Heritage Trust, retrieved 12 December 2014〕 The church was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990.〔〔(Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception ), Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada〕 Pope Francis designated the church a basilica on 8 December 2014.〔(Basilica has nice ring to it ) from ''Guelph Tribune'', 11 December 2014, retrieved 12 December 2014〕〔(Iconic city church elevated to basilica ) from ''Guelph Tribune'', 11 December 2014, retrieved 12 December 2014〕 ==History== When John Galt founded Guelph, Ontario on April 23, 1827, he allocated the highest point in the centre of the newly founded town to Roman Catholics as a compliment to his friend, Bishop Alexander Macdonell, who had given him advice in the formation of the Canada Company. A road was also later cleared leading up to the hill and named after the Bishop, called Macdonell Street. According to the Guelph Public Library archives, John Galt, founder of Guelph, wrote the following statement in the deed transferring the land on which the Church of Our Lady would one day stand: "On this hill would one day rise a church to rival St. Peter's in Rome." The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady Immaculate is the third church to stand on this site, high above the streetscape, overlooking the city of Guelph. The first church, a framed wooden church named St. Patrick's, had been built on the hill by 1835 and was the first structure in Guelph that was painted on both its interior and exterior. It burned to the ground on October 10, 1844. Construction on St. Bartholomew's Church began shortly after St. Patrick's was destroyed. The new building was completed in 1846. The following inscription appeared on the cornerstone of St. Bartholomew's Church: "To God, the best and greatest. The faithful of Guelph, of the diocese of Toronto have built this new Church, in honour of the blessed Apostle Bartholomew, the first church having been consumed in flames." Construction of the new church, based on the Cologne Cathedral,〔 began in 1877 under Irish-Canadian architect Joseph Connolly who had designed many churches in Ireland, England and Ontario, notably St. Peter's Cathedral in London, Ontario. Built of local limestone in Gothic Revival style, the Church of Our Lady is considered to be Connolly's masterpiece. Matthew Bell, a well-known Guelph artisan, was responsible for some of the carvings on the exterior as well as on the interior pillars of the church. He died in 1883 as a result of injuries sustained in a fall while working on the building. In 1888, almost twelve years after construction commenced, the church was dedicated to Our Lady Immaculate. The twin towers, which rise to a height of over , were not completed until November 13, 1926. The completed church stands at the head of MacDonell Street as an imposing view terminus, similarly to another major project by Connolly, St. Mary's Church in Toronto. In 1958 a new entrance from Macdonell Street was constructed, but aside from this, the exterior appearance of the Church has changed very little since 1926. The complete building of the church took more than 50 years, probably qualifying it as the longest construction project in the city's history. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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