The Napoleon III style (also called French Second Empire) of Montreal’s City Hall is splendid. This National Historic Site of Canada opened in 1878. Much of the original building was gutted by fire in 1922. Afterwards, architect Louis Parant is credited with the four-year restoration. This is the first city hall in Canada built only for municipal purposes. Hôtel de Ville de Montréal occupies the north end of Place Jacques-Cartier, a public square you will walk through in just a minute.
