| la Citadelle | |
|---|---|
The main gate of La Citadelle |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Canadian Norman, Greek Revival |
| Town or city | The Citadelle of Quebec Quebec City, Quebec |
| Country | Canada |
| Coordinates | |
| Construction started | 1673 |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | The Crown of France (1693, 1701, 1745, 1750), The Crown of Great Britain and Ireland (1820, 1831, 1842), The Crown in Right of Canada (1872, 1984) |
| Owner | The Queen in Right of Canada (Elizabeth II) |
| Architect |
Various |
| Official name: Quebec Citadel National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1981 |
The Citadelle — the French name is used both in English and French — is a military installation and official residence located atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. This citadel is part of the fortifications of Quebec City.
The Citadelle is a National Historic Site of Canada,[1] and also forms part of the Fortifications of Quebec National Historic Site of Canada.[2] The fortress is located within the "Historic District of Old Quebec", which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1985.[3]
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The first protective wall (enceinte) was built in the 17th century under Louis de Buade, sieur de Frontenac. A plan of fortifications was developed by the French military engineer Jacques Levasseur de Néré (1662–1723) and approved by Louis XIV's commissary general of fortifications Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban in 1701. Considerable work took place on the fortifications after the fall of Louisbourg in 1745 under the direction of military engineer Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry.
The existing star-shaped fortifications were built by the United Kingdom between 1820 and 1831 under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Elias Walker Durnford of the Royal Engineers, and incorporated a section of the French enceinte (enclosure) of 1745. Their purpose was to secure the strategic heights of Cap Diamant against the Americans and to serve as a refuge for the British garrison in the event of attack or rebellion. The preservation of much of the fortifications and defences of Quebec is due to the intervention of Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, Governor General of Canada 1872–1878, who also established the Citadelle as a vice-regal residence.
The Quebec Conferences of 1943 and 1944, in which Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and William Lyon Mackenzie King discussed strategy for World War II, were held at the Citadelle of Quebec.
The Citadelle has been the home station of the Royal 22e Régiment of the Canadian Forces since 1920. In addition to its use as a military installation, it has been also an official residence of the Queen in Right of Canada and the Governor General of Canada since 1872,[4] who by tradition resides there for several weeks out of the year. (The Governor General's primary official residence is Rideau Hall in Ottawa.)
The Officer's Barracks, built in 1831 by the British Army, has been the residence of the Governor General of Canada since 1871. The two storey Neoclassical building was expanded and damaged by a fire in 1976.[5]
Inside the building are various rooms:
| Royal 22e Régiment Régiment Museum | |
|---|---|
| Location | La Citadelle de Québec PO Box 6020, Haute-Ville Station Quebec, QC G1R 4V7Canada |
| Type | Regimental Museum |
| Website | [2] |
The museum authenticates, classifies, evaluates and registers acquisitions received. The museum collects, preserves and displays to the public, artifacts of Canadian military historical significance.[9] Visitors are given guided tours of buildings 10 and 15, as well as the Royal 22e Régiment Museum, which features weapons, uniforms, and other military artifacts of the regiment. The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, OMMC and Virtual Museum of Canada.
The Quebec Parliament Building and many other provincial government buildings and several large hotels are also nearby, towering over this sunken or flat citadel, typical of late 18th century and early 19th century castramentation.
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