The Ursulines at a Glance
This series of videos covers numerous aspects of the Ursulines’ history. Happy viewing!
The Ursulines’ exceptional collection of paintings
The Ursulines’ collection of paintings is one of the most valuable in Canada. The collection of a few hundred pieces, some of which date back to the 17th century, includes purchases, gifts and works painted by the nuns themselves.
In this online conference, Vincent Giguère, curator at the Musée de la civilisation, interprets a few paintings in an exploration of the Ursulines’ visual culture, which has been shaped and reshaped over several centuries.
Conference broadcast April 8, 2020
Ursulines’ science education for girls in the 19th century
Did you think that the sciences were once a club reserved for boys only? Think again! In the 19th century the girls at the Ursuline School in Quebec City took science classes in geography, astronomy, physics, chemistry, botany, zoology, mineralogy and geology.
Andréanne Duchesneau, educational and public programs advisor at the Pôle culturel du Monastère des Ursulines, and Mélanie Lafrance, historian, invite you to explore the topic in depth in this video specially created for Une heure au Musée. By taking a closer look at specific objects from the collection, we gain a better understanding of the science education the girls received, which remains largely unknown today.
Conference broadcast April 29, 2020
Sister Gabrielle Noël gives a tour of the Ursuline Monastery in Quebec City
With humor, great feeling and passion, Sister Gabrielle Noël opens the virtual doors to the Ursuline Monastery in Quebec City, site of the first school for girls in North America. She takes us on a journey filled with inspiring encounters, colorful anecdotes and wonderful discoveries. Her recounting of the Ursulines’ past illustrates the monastery and community’s great cultural richness.
Many surprises await your discovery—the chapel, convent door, archives, 17th-century staircase, monastery basement, stone hallway, British cannonballs and hundred-year-old chests, to name a few!