The old town of Quebec used to be located on Cape Diamant. The Citadelle of Quebec, an ancient fortification, is still preserved there. It is a unique structure of its kind in the whole North America that has survived almost intact to this day. There are no new buildings: all buildings are authentic, existing from the moment of their construction.
The first military fortifications on this site appeared in 1690 when Quebec was attacked by soldiers of the New England Navy. Gradually, the defensive structures increased in number. But still, the fortress was not a reliable defense. Since Quebec was not considered a strategically important city, a very modest budget was allocated for the construction. So the construction of the Citadelle was completed only in 1745. It took more than 50 years to create this impregnable and beautiful military complex.
The Citadelle received additional fortifications in the form of a star during the war of 1812. This year is considered the year of completion of construction.
How was it possible to preserve the Citadelle of Quebec, while a large number of other fortresses were abandoned and eventually destroyed? Let's just say this building was lucky. In 1872, Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Lord Dufferin, governor-general of Canada made this fortress his official residence. Therefore, the renovations and restorations were carried out promptly to make the residence of the country's main man look solid. All the buildings were kept in perfect condition.
It was in this fortress that the Quebec Conference was held: Roosevelt, Churchill, and Mackenzie King discussed the strategy of fighting during World War II.
Today, the Citadelle is a real national treasure. The Royal Canadian Regiment comes there for military training. Besides, the governor-general of Canada traditionally comes from his main residence in Ottawa to spend several weeks a year with his family in the Citadelle.