Old Quebec

Old Québec is a historic neighbourhood of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Comprising the Upper Town and Lower Town, the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Administratively, Old Quebec is part of the Vieux-Québec–Cap-Blanc–colline Parlementaire district in the borough of La Cité-Limoilou.The area is commonly referred to as "the Old City" or "Québec's Old City" in English. It is sometimes referred to as the Latin Quarter as well, although this title refers more to area around the Séminaire de Québec, the original site of Laval University.Upper TownSamuel de Champlain chose the Upper Town as the site for Fort Saint Louis in 1608. It has remained the city's military and administrative centre because of its strategic position atop the promontory of Cap Diamant. It was occupied mainly by British government officials and Catholic clergy after the British Conquest, while French and English merchants and artisans lived in Lower Town.Military use did hamper growth in the Upper Town for many years, and a movement arose in the late 19th century to demolish the fortifications as obsolete and as an obstacle to urban development. It was Lord Dufferin who successfully persuaded officials to preserve and rebuild them.