fontaine de Tourny, Quebec, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Fontaine de Tourny is a fountain in Quebec City that stands in front of the Parliament Building on Avenue Honoré-Mercier, just outside the Old Town. It anchors one of the best-known views in the city, with the seat of Quebec's government rising behind its basin. It is an easy place to pause and take in the fountain and the facade it faces in one look.

The story behind it

Most of the story you can read on the spot belongs to the building behind the fountain. The Parliament Building was raised between 1877 and 1886 to a design by the architect Eugène-Étienne Taché. It houses the Parliament of Québec, made up of the Lieutenant-Governor, who represents the Crown in the province, and the National Assembly.

Taché conceived the facade as a picture of Québec's origins, told in bronze and stone. Twenty-two figures stand on it as tributes to people who shaped the history of this former colony: founders, explorers, soldiers, missionaries, politicians and public administrators. Together they illustrate the province's motto, Je me souviens, which means "I remember" and is engraved above the main entrance.

What to look for

• The 22 figures on the facade, each honouring a person from Québec's past, from explorers and missionaries to soldiers and administrators.
• The motto Je me souviens carved above the main entrance, a short phrase that sums up how the province sees its history.
• The fountain's basin and sculpted figures in the foreground, which make a natural frame for a photo of the Parliament Building.
• The way the facade works as a story in bronze and stone, so it rewards a slow walk from one end to the other rather than a single glance.

Tips for your visit

• Viewing the fountain and the facade from the street is free and takes about 15 to 30 minutes if you want to look at the figures one by one.
• Come in good daylight so the details of the facade are easy to read, and bring a camera for the fountain with the building behind it.
• The Parliament Building can be visited, but access and tours vary, so check current opening hours and visit conditions before you go.
• The walls and gates of the Old Town are close by, which makes this an easy stop to combine with a longer walk.

See it on a quest

The quest Old Town Quebec: European Charm is a good way to see the fountain. You reach it on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in front of what you are looking at. That makes you read the facade rather than just photograph it. There is no guide to follow and no group to join, you start when you like, and one ticket covers the whole group.