Castle Map

Fortress

Ramparts of Quebec City

Canada · 17th century

Founded
1690
Location
La Cité-Limoilou
Coordinates
46.80997°, -71.21161°
Links
Wikimedia Commons
Open on the map →Wikipedia ↗
Ramparts of Quebec City in Canada
Photo: Smudge 9000 · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Description

The ramparts of Quebec City (French: Fortifications de Québec) is a city wall that surrounds the western end of Old Quebec's Upper Town in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The ramparts date back to the 17th century, with the ramparts having undergone a succession of modifications and improvements throughout their history. The city walls extend 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi), with the southern portions of the ramparts forming a part of the Citadelle of Quebec.

The ramparts were first built in 1690 in order to defend the Upper Town of Quebec City. In 1745, the walls were rebuilt further west, modelled after designs created by Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry. The ramparts withstood several sieges during the mid-18th century, with British forces holding out in the walled city during the French siege of Quebec in 1760, and the American siege of Quebec in 1775. From the 1820s to 1830s, the British expanded and improved the ramparts and the rest of the city's defensive network. However, by the late 19th century, several deteriorating facilities associated with Quebec City's fortifications were demolished, although the primary defences remained.

The city's defence complex, including its ramparts, were designated as the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site in 1948. In addition to the ramparts, the national historic site also includes the Citadelle and the Lévis Forts. The ramparts, alongside the rest of Old Quebec, were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985; with the area serving as the only intact example of a fortified colonial settlement in North America north of Mexico.

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

In the rankings

Ramparts of Quebec City ranks #4,554 of 9,902 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #20 of the 27 mapped in Canada. Founded 1690, it is older than 23% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 755 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 3,145 times in the last 60 days, more than 82% of the atlas. 2 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Canada compares in the castle statistics.

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