Old Quebec
Encyclopedia
Old Quebec is a historic neighbourhood of Quebec City
, the capital of the province of Quebec
in Canada
. Comprising the Upper Town and Lower Town , the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
. Administratively, Old Quebec is part of the Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire
district in the borough of La Cité–Limoilou
.
The area is sometimes referred to as the Latin Quarter , but this title refers more to area around the Séminaire de Québec, the original site of Laval University.
as the location for the Chateau Saint-Louis. Old Quebec maintained a strong military and administrative presence from its beginning, a use determined by the strategic heights of Cap Diamant
. While the Lower Town was populated with merchants and craftsmen, the Upper Town was inhabited by military officials and members of the clergy.
This strong military presence long limited the city's expansion. At the end of the 19th century, many wanted to demolish the fortifications, judging them to be unnecessary and a hindrance to urban development. However, Governor Dufferin
successfully managed to preserve the character of the walled city, while adapting the further expansion of the modern city.
Despite having undergone some degradation in the 1950s
, the Old City has been subject to somewhat of a renaissance period since the 1970s
.
The rich historic nature of Old Quebec is marked by the city's ramparts
, fortifications, and many historic houses and buildings. The legacy of previous generations and the beauty of the district make it particularly unique.
The majority of buildings in the neighborhood date from 19th century, although the construction of some date back to 17th and 18th centuries. It also is home to several commercial streets
, including Rue Saint-Jean, Rue Sainte-Anne and Rue De Buade. Many institutions are still housed in the heart of the city, such as the Quebec City Council
, the Séminaire de Québec, the Ursulines
Convent
, and the Augustinian
monastery
. As a popular tourist destination, Old Quebec is also home to several hotels, including the famous Château Frontenac
. Guided ghosts tours are also of interest to its residents and visitors.
(RTC) operates the Écolobus loop service within Old Quebec. The Écolobuses are 100% electric, non-polluting and very quiet. The buses are much smaller than the RTC's regular fleet, accommodating 10 seated and 10 standing passengers.
, the châteauesque
station is similar in design to the Château Frontenac. Via Rail
operates regular services to Montreal
via Drummondville. The station is also serviced by the private coach company Orléans Express
.
and a strip of band below the cliffs, between the Saint-Charles River
and the Saint Lawrence River
. In 1985, it was recognized as a World Heritage Site
by UNESCO
.
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, the capital of the province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Comprising the Upper Town and Lower Town , the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. Administratively, Old Quebec is part of the Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire
Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire
Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire is one of the 35 districts of the City of Quebec, and one of six that are located in the borough of La Cité–Limoilou. This area is certainly the most visited and most toured in the province of Quebec...
district in the borough of La Cité–Limoilou
La Cité–Limoilou
La Cité–Limoilou is the central borough of Quebec City, the oldest , and the most populous, comprising 21.85% of the city's total population...
.
The area is sometimes referred to as the Latin Quarter , but this title refers more to area around the Séminaire de Québec, the original site of Laval University.
History
Old Quebec is the oldest part of Quebec City, chosen in 1620 by Samuel de ChamplainSamuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
as the location for the Chateau Saint-Louis. Old Quebec maintained a strong military and administrative presence from its beginning, a use determined by the strategic heights of Cap Diamant
Cap Diamant
Cap Diamant is the official name of the cape and promontory on which Quebec City is located, formed by the confluence of a bend in the St. Lawrence River to the south and east, and the much smaller St. Charles River to the north....
. While the Lower Town was populated with merchants and craftsmen, the Upper Town was inhabited by military officials and members of the clergy.
This strong military presence long limited the city's expansion. At the end of the 19th century, many wanted to demolish the fortifications, judging them to be unnecessary and a hindrance to urban development. However, Governor Dufferin
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, KP, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, PC was a British public servant and prominent member of Victorian society...
successfully managed to preserve the character of the walled city, while adapting the further expansion of the modern city.
Despite having undergone some degradation in the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
, the Old City has been subject to somewhat of a renaissance period since the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
.
The rich historic nature of Old Quebec is marked by the city's ramparts
Ramparts of Quebec City
Located in Canada, the Ramparts of Quebec City are the only remaining fortified city walls in the Americas, north of Mexico. The English began fortifying the existing walls, after they took Quebec City from the French in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759.The wall surrounds most of Old...
, fortifications, and many historic houses and buildings. The legacy of previous generations and the beauty of the district make it particularly unique.
The majority of buildings in the neighborhood date from 19th century, although the construction of some date back to 17th and 18th centuries. It also is home to several commercial streets
Commercial district
A commercial district or commercial zone is any part of a city or town in which the primary land use is commercial activities , as opposed to a residential neighbourhood, an industrial zone, or other types of neighbourhoods...
, including Rue Saint-Jean, Rue Sainte-Anne and Rue De Buade. Many institutions are still housed in the heart of the city, such as the Quebec City Council
Quebec City Council
The Quebec City Council consists of a mayor, and of 37 representatives distributed in the 37 districts, with a president by borough in the elected representatives.For the abbreviations, to see the legend at the end of the Web page....
, the Séminaire de Québec, the Ursulines
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
Convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
, and the Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. As a popular tourist destination, Old Quebec is also home to several hotels, including the famous Château Frontenac
Château Frontenac
The Château Frontenac, currently known as Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, is a grand hotel in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1980...
. Guided ghosts tours are also of interest to its residents and visitors.
Public Transport
The Réseau de Transport de la CapitaleRéseau de transport de la Capitale
The Réseau de transport de la Capitale was established in 2002 with the merger of Société de transport de la Communauté urbaine de Québec and la Société de transport de Québec to provide urban public transit services in the Quebec City area....
(RTC) operates the Écolobus loop service within Old Quebec. The Écolobuses are 100% electric, non-polluting and very quiet. The buses are much smaller than the RTC's regular fleet, accommodating 10 seated and 10 standing passengers.
Rail
Old Quebec is serviced by the Gare du Palais train and bus station. Built in 1915 by the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, the châteauesque
Châteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
station is similar in design to the Château Frontenac. Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
operates regular services to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
via Drummondville. The station is also serviced by the private coach company Orléans Express
Orléans Express
Orléans Express is a coach operator in Quebec, Canada. It runs buses exclusively in Quebec, with service throughout Atlantic Canada provided by subsidiary Acadian Lines.It has a wide network of routes throughout Quebec and the Maritimes...
.
Air
Old Quebec is 16km east of Quebec's Jean Lesage Airport. There is no public transport between the airport and Old Quebec, however taxis operate at a flat rate of $32.50.Recognition
In 1963, an area in the historic area of the city was named a "Declared Historic District" ' by the province of Quebec, and was expanded the following year to an area of 135 hectares (333.6 acre). It includes 1,400 buildings within the neighbourhood of La Cité, including the promonotary of Cap DiamantCap Diamant
Cap Diamant is the official name of the cape and promontory on which Quebec City is located, formed by the confluence of a bend in the St. Lawrence River to the south and east, and the much smaller St. Charles River to the north....
and a strip of band below the cliffs, between the Saint-Charles River
Saint-Charles River
Saint-Charles River is a river of Quebec , and the main river in Quebec City. Its huron-wendat name is Akiawenrahk.-Geography:It springs from Saint-Charles Lake, follows a course of approximately 33 km and ends into Saint Lawrence River...
and the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
. In 1985, it was recognized as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.