The Government of Canada Recognizes the National Historic Importance of Guido Nincheri

May 24, 2017                              Montréal, Quebec                             Parks Canada Agency

Today, Nicola Di Iorio, Member of Parliament for Saint-Léonard-Saint-Michel, on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, recognized the national historic significance of Guido Nincheri. A special ceremony was held at the Nincheri Studio in Montréal.

The Government of Canada is committed to connecting Canadians to the significant events that contributed to our country’s rich history and heritage. Born in Italy in 1885, Guido Nincheri studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. When he arrived in Montréal in 1914, he was already a talented architect, painter and decorator. Fortune smiled on him, because a few years later, a number of Roman Catholic churches had to be designed, which led Nincheri to become a specialist in religious murals and a well-known designer of stained-glass windows.

Later, in 1925, he set up his own studio, which produced hundreds of stained-glass windows to decorate a number of churches in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes. Two of his works can be seen in two national historic sites, Notre-Dame-de-la-Défense Church and Saint-Léon-de-Westmount Church, recognized in part because of the interior frescoes created by Nincheri. Interned in 1940, as were many other Italian Canadians during that period, Nincheri moved to the United States after his release. He always retained a connection with Montréal by overseeing his studio from a distance until his retirement.

As part of the centennial of national historic sites, Parks Canada invites Canadians to be inspired and captivated by the stories of the people and events that shaped the Canada of today. Canada’s national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas enable Canadians to experience their rich history and heritage in a special way and play a big part in the celebration of Canada 150.