Rooted in Montreal’s history, the SDC Petite Italie ensures the vitality of an emblematic neighborhood that’s warm, culturally rich and forward-looking. Home to generations of Italo-Montrealers, Little Italy is now recognized as Montreal’s gourmet district, where culinary institutions, passionate artisans and creative new businesses rub shoulders.
Through its initiatives, the SDC is helping to raise the profile of this unique area, where history, gastronomy and neighborhood life meet in a spirit of conviviality and discovery.
The history of the neighborhood
An important historical and cultural district located in the Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie borough, Little Italy is a must-see in Montreal. A vibrant area known for its excellent restaurants, authentic Italian cafés, and shops specializing in Italian products (cheeses, charcuterie, coffee, etc.).
From the origins of Little Italy to today: learn more about the history of one of Montreal’s most authentic and colorful neighborhoods!
If the Italian presence in Quebec dates back to the 17th century (mainly soldiers from the Carignan regiment, traders and artisans from northern Italy), it was in the 19th century that Italian immigration began to develop. This was essentially male peasant immigration, especially from the south of the peninsula.
These immigrants, mostly temporary, are employed in the railways, mines and logging camps. At the beginning of the 20th century, immigration evolves. It is then characterized by permanent family immigration, the majority of them working for the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Grand Trunk Company. Very quickly, they build their churches and their institutions such as the sumptuous Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Défense.
Built of stone on a Greek cross plan, the Romanesque Revival style church is finished in the Italian manner with an exterior featuring decorative brickwork and interior fresco decoration. The Church of Notre-Dame-de- la-Défense was designated a national historic site of Canada in 2002 because since its construction in 1918-1919, this church has been closely associated with Canada’s oldest Italian community, established in Montreal in the 1860s.
The building and its interior decorative program, executed in stages, is by artist Guido Nincheri Recalling the Renaissance in Italy, walls and vaults are painted in true fresco. The vault of the apse, executed in 1927- 1933, displays bright colors and a rich iconography with numerous figures, many of which are portraits of contemporary Canadians and Italians. These features make the church a rare and eloquent expression of Canada’s Italian community. This church is also known as Madonna della Difesa by Italians.
With the founding of the Notre-Dame-de-la-Défense parish in 1910, a school church was created in the neighborhood for the Italian community. The Notre-Dame-de-la-Défense school is one of the most significant designs of Eugène Larose’s architecture. Its Art Deco style is noticed on the facade by the decorative games in bricks of different colors, by the stylized bas-reliefs illustrating Flemish people, children, stars and even nuns.
However, the largest wave of Italian immigrants arrives with the end of World War II. Between 1946 and 1960, thousands of Italian workers and peasants land in the port of Montreal (with a majority admitted as part of family reunification).
A large part of them settles around the Jean-Talon market (called Marché du Nord until 1983) and the Madonna della Difesa Church, thus truly giving birth to Piccola Italia. From 1961 to 1975, immigration to Quebec diversified and was characterized by a high proportion of workers in the manufacturing and construction sector.
In the heart of Little Italy, the Jean-Talon Market is one of the oldest public markets in Montreal. When it originally opened in May 1933, it was named Marché du Nord before becoming the Jean-Talon Market, named in honor of the first Intendant of New France. In its beginnings the market was only open on Friday and Saturday.
The market started to open daily in 1954. At the time, the market gathered more than 400 farmers who sold fruits, vegetables, eggs and animals.
Over the years, the hangars of houses on the north and south sides of the market have been transformed into grocery stores, butchers’ shops, cheese factories, etc. Then, in the early 1980s, the Jean-Talon market inaugurated its interior made of removable partitions. Today, tourists and residents flock to the market all year long to buy local and fresh products.
During the 80s and 90s, Little Italy experienced difficult economic times and the neighborhood had already lost a good part of its residents and businesses of Italian origin to other neighborhoods in Montreal.
In the early 1990s, the City of Montreal intended to remedy the situation and revitalize this sector of the city. In 1996, an association of Italian-Montreal merchants proposed to the city a project to mark the territory allowing the district to distinguish itself from other sectors and to highlight the Italian origins of Little Italy.
At the end of the 1990s, the project to create 14 half-sails to delimit the territory of Little Italy was submitted to the City. After much discussion, the project was finally accepted. It is to the artist of Italian origin Aurelio Sandonato that we owe the design of the half-sails. The latter symbolizes the sails of the ships that transported the Italian immigrants to Canada.
In 2001, the second phase of the project, the construction of the arches and entrance doors to Little Italy on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, began. Once again, Aurelio Sandonato was entrusted with the creation of the model of the arches.
