Citadelle of Quebec

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. 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. It is also an official residence of the monarchs of Canada, when they are in Quebec.

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 and forms part of the Fortifications of Quebec National Historic Site of Canada. The fortress is located within the Historic District of Old Quebec, which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1985. The site receives some 200,000 visitors annually.

Text adapted from “Citadelle of Quebec” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Citadelle of Quebec ranks #779 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #3 of the 26 mapped in Canada. Founded 1820, it is older than 11% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 607 atlas entries founded in the 19th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 11,139 times in the last 60 days, more than 94% of the atlas. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Canada compares in the castle statistics.

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