Citadelle of Quebec | |
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La Citadelle de Québec (French) | |
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General information | |
Location | Quebec City, Quebec, Canada |
Coordinates | 46°48′27″N 71°12′26″W / 46.8074°N 71.2071°W |
Construction started | 1820 to 1850 |
Cost | 200 000 sterling pounds, 60 000 estimated in 1816 |
Client |
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Owner | The King in Right of Canada (Charles III) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Various |
Engineer | 9 |
Official name | Québec Citadel National Historic Site of Canada[1] |
Designated | 15 May 1946 |
The Citadelle of Quebec (French: Citadelle de Québec), also known as La Citadelle, is an active military installation and the secondary official residence of the governor general of Canada.[2][3][4] It is atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Quebec. The citadel forms part of the fortifications of Quebec City, which is one of only two cities in North America still surrounded by fortifications, the other being Campeche, Mexico.
The strategic importance of Cap Diamant was recognized by the French as early as 1608. Several defensive fortifications were built on the site first by the French and then by the British after their conquest of New France. The modern citadel was built from 1820 to 1850, in an effort to secure Quebec City against a potential American attack. The British used the citadel until 1871, when they formally handed the property over to the Canadian government. Following the handover, the citadel was used as a military installation by the Canadian Armed Forces and as a royal and vice-regal residence.
The Citadelle is a National Historic Site of Canada[1] and forms part of the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site of Canada.[5] The fortress is located within the Historic District of Old Québec, which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1985.[6] The site receives some 200,000 visitors annually.
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