Place d’Armes

Welcome to Place d’Armes, one of the city’s top tourist spots. It sits at the foot of Château Frontenac, next to the Dufferin Terrace and the tourist information centre. This square dates back to the 1640s, when it was called Grand-Place and stood next to the old Château Saint-Louis, the official residence of the governors of New France at the time. It was originally used as a public parade ground and a space for military drills—first by French troops, then by the British. That’s how it got its current name, Place d’Armes, or parade ground. Once Quebec’s citadel was constructed, the square lost its military function, and by 1865, it had been transformed into a public park. The fountain at the centre was erected in 1915 in memory of the Récollets—the first religious order to set foot in New France, three hundred years earlier. It’s known as the Monument to the Faith, and offers one of the most iconic views of Château Frontenac.