Victoria Square (french: Square Victoria) is a

town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true square, geometric square, used for community gathe ...

and public space in the

Quartier International de Montréal The Quartier international de Montréal (QIM) or Montreal's International District is a district of the Ville-Marie borough in the city's downtown core of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is roughly bordered by René-Levesque Boulevard to the north, ...

(also called the International Quarter) area of downtown

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada, at the intersection of Beaver Hall Hill and McGill Street. The Square forms an integral component of the city's urban public transit system and constitutes a 'prestige address' for the international face of the city. It is bordered by Viger Street to the north,

Saint Jacques Street Saint Jacques Street (officially in french: rue Saint-Jacques), or St. James Street, is a major street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running from Old Montreal westward to Lachine, Quebec, Lachine. The street is commonly known by two street name, ...

to the south, Beaver Hall Hill to the west and Square Victoria Street (an extension of McGill Street) along the eastern side. As with other city squares, Square Victoria is open 24 hours per day to all citizens of Montreal and provides the role of an urban breathing space, with dense foliage to the south that tapers as the square rises up Beaver Hall Hill.

History

The square has existed since 1813. Formerly known as ''Place du Marché-à-Foin'' and ''Place des Commissaires'', it was renamed for

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

for the visit of the then-

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

(later

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

) in 1860. Victoria Square has undergone many aesthetic changes over its history, functioning at times more as a parking lot, other times as a simple open space, while at others being far more refined and cultivated. The Square was restored to its current configuration in 2002 and 2003. It features

Hector Guimard Hector Guimard (, 10 March 1867 – 20 May 1942) was a French architect and designer, and a prominent figure of the Art Nouveau style. He achieved early fame with his design for the Castel Beranger, the first Art Nouveau apartment building ...

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

outdoor entrance to the Square-Victoria–OACI Metro station, a statue of Queen Victoria, the ''

Tai Chi Single Whip ''Tai Chi Single Whip'' (or ''Taichi Single Whip'') is an outdoor sculpture by Taiwanese artist Ju Ming, installed in Montreal's Victoria Square, Montreal, Victoria Square, in Quebec, Canada. References External links

* Martial arts cul ...

'' sculpture by

Ju Ming use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...

, and trees lining its bounding avenues.

Location

The square is now fronted on the east by the CDP Capital Centre, the

World Trade Centre Montreal The World Trade Centre Montreal (in French, ''Centre de Commerce mondial de Montréal'') is a shopping centre, office and hotel complex located in the Quartier international district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Completed in 1992 by Arcop, it ...

and the Hotel W Montréal, to the west by

Tour de la Bourse The Tour de la Bourse ( en, Stock Exchange Tower) is a 48-storey skyscraper in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Victoria Square and Saint Jacques Street in the International Quarter. It is connected by the undergr ...

and Place de la Cité internationale, to the north by the Altoria/Aimia Tower, and to the south by the

Quebecor Quebecor Inc. is a Canadian diversified media and telecommunications company serving Québec based in Montreal. It was spelled Quebecor in both English and French until May 2012, when shareholders voted to add the acute accent, Québecor, in F ...

building, its outdated façade fully redesigned.

History

Location

See also

References

External links