Canada Guide
Newfoundland and Labrador
Catholic Basilica of St John the Baptist
Opening time: Mon– Fri 9am–4.30pm, Sat 9am–1.30pm, Sun 9am– noon
Price: Free
The grandest of the city's churches is the Catholic Basilica of St John the Baptist, whose twin-towered limestone and granite mass overlooks the harbour from the crest of a hill. The church was completed in 1855, but there was no ecumenical rejoicing: the church's prominent position irritated the Protestants no end. The facade of the basilica makes a competent attempt to mimic the Romanesque churches of Italy, but the interior is rather better, the stained-glass windows illuminating a delightfully ornate and embossed gold, maroon and deep-green ceiling. Look out also for the ceremonial arch in front of the church, an over-egging of the architectural pudding, where the statue of St John the Baptist is blessed with strangely lopsided buttocks.