Québec's Roman Catholic basilica got its start as a small church in 1647. Despite frequent fires and battle damage over the ensuing years, especially during fighting between British and French armies in 1759, the church was repeatedly repaired and rebuilt, ultimately becoming the much larger cathedral you see today, which was completed in 1925. The interior is appropriately grandiose, though most of its treasures didn’t survive the 1922 fire that left behind only the walls and foundations.
Between mid-May and early September, guided tours allow you to visit the basilica's crypt; call ahead or check inside the church for schedules. Everyone from governors of New France to archbishops and cardinals have been laid to rest here.
