Champlain chose to build his first home at the foot of Cape
Diamant, in a neighbourhood known today as Place-Royale. You
can discover the history of this place, considered to be the cradle
of French civilization in the Americas, at the Place-Royale
Interpretation. From its origin as a fur trading post to its
present status as Québec's provincial capital, Québec City has
changed dramatically, but has been careful to preserve and restore
elements from its past. Québec City was under French rule between
1608 and 1759, except for the period between 1627 and 1632, when
the Kirke brothers controlled the city.
The Recollets, who were the colony's first missionaries, arrived
in 1615. They were soon followed by the Jesuits in 1635, then the
Ursulines and Augustines in 1639. Built between 1748 and 1750, the
New Barracks was the largest building constructed in New France at
the time. In 1759, the famous battle of the Plains of Abraham would
alter the course of the colony's history that had been, until then,
fairly uneventful. The English won the battle and took control of
the city, then later the colony. The following year, France signed
the Treaty of Paris, thus transferring ownership of New France to
England and putting an end to the Seven Year War. In 1775-1776,
American troops tried, and failed, to capture Québec City. The
Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the "Province of Québec" into
Upper and Lower Canada and designated Québec City as the capital of
Lower Canada.
In 1841, the Union Act united the two Canadas. Over a period of
a few years, different Canadian cities played the role of national
capital, including Québec City. Even today, Québec City is still
referred to in French as the 'Vieille capitale'; the 'Old Capital'.
Following the adoption of the British North America Act in 1867,
Québec City became the capital of the province of Québec. Old
Québec was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Luxury
Classic
