Convent complex of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph (Montreal)

Discovering the convent complex of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph, the pioneers of health care in Montreal 

In the late 18th century, the industrial expansion of Montreal caused a spurt of population growth. By the 19th century the Hôtel-Dieu, founded on May 17, 1642 by Jeanne Mance, the first lay nurse and cofounder of Montreal, was no longer adequate to house the city’s sick in its premises in Old Montreal. The Congregation of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph, who had taken over from Jeanne Mance, decided to move to the spacious property it owned at the foot of Mount Royal, as the land offered more space and convenience and the air was healthier.

For the next hour, we invite you to visit the convent complex of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph. One of the starting points for the vibrant district of the Plateau Mont-Royal, this property, where construction began in 1859, witnessed the birth of the neighbourhood that developed around its monastery, chapel, and hospital. You'll discover a community that has strongly influenced the development of its surroundings, and meet individuals who have left their marks on the history of Montreal, like Jeanne Mance, Victor Bourgeau, and artist Claude Théberge.

This visit includes 19 audio stops.

• 1 - Introduction
• 2 - The neighbourhood
• 3 - Jeanne Mance
• 4 - The Congregation of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph
• 5 - Victor Bourgeau
• 6 - The Gardens
• 7 - Façade of the chapel
• 8 - Development of Sainte-Famille Street
• 9 - The interior of the chapel
• 10 - Works of art by Claude Théberge in the chapel
• 11 - Decoration of the dome
• 12 - The Organ
• 13 - Musical excerpt
• 14 - The crypt
• 15 - Commemorative plaques
• 16 - The “false chapel” and the monument to Jeanne Mance
• 17 - The former poor people's wing and the old garden
• 18 - The staircase of the Hôtel-Dieu de La Flèche
• 19 - Closing remarks