Montréal (Ville-Marie)

Ville-Marie is a central borough in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is home to both the city's business and historic centers.

The borough is the very heart of the metropolis and one of its liveliest sectors. It features churches, skyscrapers, shopping centers, businesses on Sainte-Catherine Street, as well as restaurants and cafés. It is also home to four universities.

Many of the commercial districts offer a significant residential-commercial mix, with retail on the ground floor and residences on the upper floors, or a mix of commercial and luxury residential towers. The residential density of downtown Montreal is among the highest in North America.

The name Ville-Marie, the original name of the colony founded in 1642 that would become Montreal, comes from the notion of a Marian city. Several cities are dedicated to this biblical figure, such as Lourdes, in France. The Sulpicians, who founded and governed Montreal, were deeply devoted to Mary. The city's Marian vocation was preconceived by Jérôme Le Royer, Sieur de La Dauversière.

Covering an area of ​​16.5 km2, the borough of Ville-Marie occupies the central part of the city of Montreal, between Mount Royal and the St. Lawrence River, on the east side of the island of Montreal. It is bordered by the city of Westmount to the southwest, the boroughs of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Outremont, and Le Plateau-Mont-Royal to the north, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve to the east, and Le Sud-Ouest to the south. It also includes Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame islands in the St. Lawrence River.