La Petite Patrie DistrictLa Petite Italie
Buongiorno. Italian is spoken everywhere in La Petite Italie, Montreal’s Italian community located between St-Laurent and St-Denis and between St-Zotique and Jean-Talon. The area is where Montrealers of all origins go shopping on week-ends. They buy coffee in Italian coffee shops, eat Italian food in Italian restaurants and buy bread and pastries in Italian bakeries. The area is particularly animated during the World Soccer Cup. The district was born at the end of the 19th century, thanks to Italian immigrants who came and settled here. This section of Montreal is one of the main centres of Montreal’s Italian community. It is also home to the Church of the Madonna della Difesa, built by Italian immigrants from the Campobasso area in Molise to commemorate the apparition of the Virgin Mary in La Difesa. 
Between 1946 and 1960, thousands of operais and paesanos arrived at the Port of Montreal. Many of them went to live around the Marché Jean-Talon or in the vicinity of the Madonna della Difesa Church. They gave rise to the Piccola Italia and, eventually, organized the popular Semana Italiana en Montreal. The Casa Italia is one of the most important institutions of the community. The Casa organizes exhibitions, conferences and all kinds of events. Starting in the 1960’s, the Italians of Montreal started to move to Saint-Léonard, in the North-East, but always return to their community for shopping. Today, the Piccola Italia is diversified, but remains the favourite Italian spot of all the communities. Thank you for visiting La Petite Italie. Rosemont District / Petite Patrie District Web Sites We Like
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