The Notre-Dame Basilica, situated in the heart of Old Montréal, was opened in 1829, making it the largest religious edifice in North America at the time. It was raised to the status of basilica by Pope John Paul II during a visit to Montréal on April 21st, 1982. The basilica is world renowned for its spectacular interior. With the ceiling decorated in deep blue with gold stars, and the rest of the sanctuary in blues, reds, purples, silver and gold, the hundreds of wooden carvings throughout the building are illuminated with dancing colors. The stained-glass windows along the walls of the sanctuary are not biblically motivated, which is unusual for a church, but rather illustrate scenes from the religious history of Montréal.