Small Italy of Montreal

The Small Italy (in Italian: Piccola Italia) is a district Ethnique montréalais which is characterized by its important Italian community . It is filled of coffee S, Trattoria S (small Italian Restaurant) and of many typically Italian trade. One can admire also there pretty church S.

Situation

Small Italy belongs to the district of Rosemont it Petite-Patrie. It is located along the Boulevard the St. Lawrence between the streets Saint-Zotique and Jean-Heel.

The Église of Our-Lady-of-the-Defense is the spiritual heart of the community. Large a government contract serves it in its center, the Marché Jean-Heel.

History

Italian in Montreal:

If the Italian presence with the Quebec goes back to the XVIIe century (It acts then mainly of soldier of the Régiment of Carignan, tradesman and craftsman originating mainly in the North of Italy) it is at the 19th century that the Italian Immigration starts to develop. It is then about a Immigration country primarily male, especially originating in the South of the peninsula. These immigrants, as a majority of temporary, are employed in the railroads, the mines and the camps of loggers.

At the beginning of the 19th century immigration evolves/moves, it is characterized then by a family and permanent immigration. The majority of the immigrants work then with the construction and the maintenance of the railroads (the Canadian Pacific and the Compagnie of the Large Trunk). Well quickly they built their churches and their institutions the such sumptuous Église of Our-Lady-of-the-Defense.

However the most important wave of Italian immigrants, arrives with the end of the Second world war. Between 1946 and 1960 Of the thousands of workmen and Italian peasants unload in the port of Montreal (with an allowed majority within the framework of family gathering). A great part of them settle around the Marché Jean-Heel and of the Église Madonna della Difesa, giving rise to thus truly the Piccola Italia .

Of 1961 with 1975, immigration diversifies and is characterized by a strong proportion of workers of the manufacturing sector and construction. It is after the years 1970 that one attends a strong fall of the migratory flux coming from Italy.

In 2001 Italian accounted for 6,6% of the population montréalaise (that is to say 224.460 people), according to Statistique Canada. they are after French the 3rd ethnicities in importance on the island of Montreal.

Random links: