Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa

Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa
The gate house of the nunciature with the manor in the distance
Location	Ottawa
Address	Rockcliffe Park
Apostolic Nuncio	Luigi Bonazzi

The Apostolic Nunciature in Ottawa is the home of the Papal Nuncio to Canada. Also known as Rockcliffe Manor House, it is one of Ottawa's most expensive homes, appraised at $16,790,500 in 2014. The building sits atop a cliff looking down to the Ottawa River.

History of the building

The first home on the property, built by Duncan Reynier MacNab in 1838–39, was named "Rockcliff House" because of its location. This name eventually was applied to the entire neighbourhood of Rockcliffe Park where the Nunciature is located. In 1868 the property was purchased by Thomas Coltrin Keefer, son-in-law of Thomas McKay, after he had sold Rideau Hall to the government to house the Governor General. Keefer rebuilt the house and extensively enlarged it. The house remained in the Keefer family for several generations until in 1929 when it was purchased by Senator Cairine Wilson, the first Canadian woman to be named to the Senate and her husband Norman. In 1929 the building was renovated in the style of Directoire Manor Houses of France.

It was sold to the Holy See in 1962 as the Embassy of the Holy See in Canada. The Holy See had previously been based in a building on Queen Elizabeth Driveway. The manor is located on two hectares of grounds and has a large gate house, that was originally the stables and coach house, separating it from the street and several other out buildings.

The house was included amongst other architecturally interesting and historically significant buildings in Doors Open Ottawa, held June 2 and 3, 2012.

History of Canada-Vatican relations

Although the Roman Catholic Church has been territorially established in Canada since the founding of New France in the early 17th century, relations with the Holy See were only officially established under the papacy of Paul VI in the 1960s.

Main article: Canada–Holy See relations

Nuncios to Canada since 1959

• Sebastiano Baggio (12 March 1959 – 26 May 1964)
• Sergio Pignedoli (1 June 1964 – 10 June 1967)
• Emanuele Clarizio (12 June 1967 – 19 March 1970)
• Guido Del Mestri (20 June 1970 – 12 August 1975)
• Angelo Palmas (2 September 1975 – 10 March 1990)
• Carlo Curis (28 March 1990 – 4 February 1999)
• Paolo Romeo (5 February 1999 – 17 April 2001)
• Luigi Ventura (22 June 2001 – 22 September 2009)
• Pedro Lopez Quintana (10 December 2009 – 28 September 2013)
• Luigi Bonazzi (18 December 2013 – present)

References

• Cook, Maria. "Papal Envoy's Magnificent Hideaway." Ottawa Citizen. May 20, 2003. pg. B.3