Description of Historic Place

The Cap Redoubt of the Quebec Citadel National Historic Site of Canada sits on a manicured landscape with lawns and paved paths leading to the entrance, with spectacular views of the city and the St. Lawrence River. It is a small, compact, one-storey, stone masonry structure with a sloping wall facing northeast and a flat roof surmounted by a parapet. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Cap Redoubt is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
The Cap Redoubt building serves as one of the best illustrations of the period from the 17th to 19th centuries when Québec was a fortified town and it is one of the best examples of the influence that the presence of military forces and increasing activities related to defensive works played on socioeconomic life during this period. The walls played a major role in the city’s future development, as they often limited expansion and influenced growth patterns.

Architectural Value
The Cap Redoubt is a very good example of a defensive military structure that projects an image of strength and is characterized by its irregular shape, its sloping wall facing northeast, and almost blank walls. The small defensive structure is one of the rare vestiges of the original Québec fortifications, and the oldest military extant, which was erected during the French Regime in Canada. It is also among the oldest military buildings in Canada.

The Environmental Value
Standing on the King’s Bastion in the Citadel in the City of Québec, the Cap Redoubt is located on landscaped grounds near the Governor General’s summer residence in the Citadel, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the City of Québec. In 1986, the Historic District of Québec received world recognition when UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site as the only fortified city in North America; the Redoubt as a key component of those fortifications reinforces the historical military character of the World Heritage and National Historic Site.

Sources: Rhona Godspeed, Cap-aux-Diamants Redoubt, The Citadel, Québec, Québec, Federal Heritage Building Report 89-163; Cap-aux-Diamants Redoubt, The Citadel, Québec, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 89-163.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Cap Redoubt should be respected.

Its defensive military design and high quality craftsmanship and materials such as; its massing consisting of a small, compact, one-storey, stone masonry structure with a flat roof (except for the sloping portion) surmounted by a parapet and containing a pivoting platform for mounting an artillery piece; its sloping rampart-like wall facing northeast; its limited decorative elements with almost blank walls save for the entrance, a few gargoyles and narrow ventilation slits; its interior fireplace, walls and vaults of bare masonry and brick lined vault over the main room.

The manner in which the Cap Redoubt reinforces the historical defensive military character of its fort setting located in the Québec Citadel.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The Cap-à-Diamants (Cape Diamond) Redoubt was constructed in 1693-94 according to plans prepared by the Engineer Josué Dubois Berthelot de Beaucours and commissioned by Governor Frontenac. It stands on the King’s Bastion in the Citadel in the city of Québec, and is now owned by Public Works and Government Services Canada. See FHBRO Report No. 89-1 63.

Reasons for Designation
The Redoubt has been designated Classified because of its significance in the history of Canadian military architecture. This small defensive structure is one of the rare vestiges of the original Québec fortifications, and undoubtedly the oldest military building extant which was erected during the French Regime in Québec. It is also among the oldest military buildings in Canada.

The Redoubt bears witness to the period from the 17th to 19th centuries, when Québec was a fortified town. Two major influences on socioeconomic life during this period were the presence of military forces and increasing activities related to defensive works. The walls played a major role in the city’s future development, as they often limited expansion and influenced growth patterns.

In 1986, the Historic District of Québec received world recognition when UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site as the only fortified city in North America; the Redoubt is a key component of those fortifications.

Character Defining Elements
The heritage character of the Redoubt resides in the elements that characterize it as a defensive work. It is a small, compact, one-storey, stone masonry structure. Except for the sloping portion over the interior passage, the roof is flat and surmounted by a parapet. The pivoting platform for mounting an artillery piece is still in place on the roof. The Redoubt projects an image of strength due to its irregular shape, its sloping, rampart-like wall facing north-east, and almost blank walls save for the entrance on the south-west side, a few gargoyles, and narrow ventilation slits. The interior is equally spartan, with its fireplace, walls and vaults of bare masonry.

Originally the Redoubt was a square rampart measuring 99 feet along each side and 18 feet high with a small, closed, L-shaped structure in the east corner. Today only a few elements from that period remain: a fireplace and two small vaulted rooms along the north-east side, which were intended as a prison cell and a powder magazine in 1693.

As it stands, the structure is mainly representative of the period 1820-31, when Chief Engineer Durford incorporated it into the Citadel. During this period, the ramparts were removed and the door was relocated according to the new defensive system. The brick-lined vault over the main room dates from this period.

The existing structure is the end-product of evolution over time. Accordingly, it should be preserved as it has survived, and all its elements should be carefully maintained. The masonry requires regular pointing and careful elimination of all routes of water ingress, as this can cause significant damage to the stones themselves and can compromise structural integrity. Such symptoms as efflorescence, cracks and stone scaling must not be ignored.

Any actions to adapt the Redoubt for future use must respect the existing structure and materials and must not interfere with the perception of interior volumes. Heating and lighting systems should be as discreet as possible.

Since it is located near the Governor General’s summer residence in the Citadel, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city of Québec, the grounds around the Redoubt are kept in impeccable condition; this should continue.