Chaboillez Square
| Chaboillez Square French: Square Chaboillez | |
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The statue of Nicolaus Copernicus in Chaboillez Square. | |
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| Type | Town square |
| Location | Downtown Montreal, Ville-Marie Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°29′47″N 73°33′52″W / 45.496442°N 73.564568°WCoordinates: 45°29′47″N 73°33′52″W / 45.496442°N 73.564568°W |
| Created | 1813 |
| Operated by | City of Montreal |
| Status | Open all year |
Chaboillez Square (officially in French: Square Chaboillez) is a town square located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Saint Jacques Street and Peel Street in downtown Montreal. The former Montreal Planetarium and a monument to Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus are located within the square.
History
In 1813, Margaret Godfrey inherited a large tract of land from her husband, Louis Chaboillez. She yielded many plots of land to the City of Montreal including the lot known as Chaboillez Square (which was larger than it is today).
The Square was completely refurbished in 1950 and reopened in 1953. Its size was reduced in the mid-1960s in planning for the coming of the Ville Marie Expressway. The Dow Planetarium (now known as Montreal Planetarium) was constructed in the square in 1966.
Monuments
- Nicolaus Copernicus Statue (1967) by Bertel Thorvaldsen
- Sundial (1968), by Herman J. Heide Van Der
Nicolaus Copernicus Statue
- Artist: Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844), Danish sculptor
- Materials
- Dimensions:
- Statue: 2.7 m × 1.1 m
- Base: 1.8 m × 1.5 m
- Manufacturing: Bronze: Lauritz Rasmussen, Denmark, posthumous draw from plaster molds and original made in 1966 under the supervision of Dr. Dyveke Helste, Thorvaldsen Museum director
- Inaugurated in 1967, Montreal World's Fair
- Acquired by the City of Montreal: 1968.
- May 18, 1975: its installation at the current site
Further reading
- Ville de Montréal, Les rues de Montréal, Répertoire historique. Éditions du Méridien. 1995.
- Sur la Loi du Square Chaboillez