Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, Quebec, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville is a small public square in Old Quebec, in Quebec City, in front of the city hall. It was once the city's main market. Today it is a calm stop dominated by the statue of Cardinal Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, and a handy pause between the streets around the basilica and the rest of the old town.

The story behind it

Until 1875 this was the most important market in Quebec City, where farmers from the surrounding countryside came to sell their produce. The construction of the city hall ended its life as a marketplace and turned it into the civic square you see now.

The statue honours Taschereau, a priest, educator, archbishop and author who became the first Canadian cardinal. He is shown in a magna cappa, the long ceremonial cape reserved for cardinals. Scenes on the base of the monument tell parts of his story: the introduction of the Forty Hours devotion in the diocese, his career at the Séminaire de Québec, and his help to the Irish victims of typhus at Grosse-Île in 1848.

What to look for

• The statue of Cardinal Taschereau, where the folds of the magna cappa are worth a close look, since few other monuments show this garment.
• The bas-reliefs on the base, which work like pages of a biography, from the seminary to the typhus crisis of 1848.
• The facade of the city hall that closes off the square, a reminder of the building that replaced the market stalls.
• The open space itself, a rare breathing room among the narrow streets of the old town, and a clue to where the market once spread out.

Tips for your visit

• Ten to fifteen minutes is enough for the square on its own, longer if you read every panel of the base.
• Early morning or late afternoon is calmer and gives softer light for photographs of the statue.
• The square is outdoors and open to everyone. If you want to go inside the city hall, check current opening hours and access first.
• Notre-Dame Basilica, the Château Frontenac and the old town streets are a short walk away, so it fits easily into a wider stroll.

See it on a quest

Old Town Quebec: European Charm passes through this square as one stop on a longer walking route through the old town. The app tells you about each place as you reach it and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Quebec is a good pick if you like your sightseeing with a mystery theme. You reach the square on foot among the other stops, hear about it on the spot and solve a puzzle there. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Haunting File: Quebec - What The Old Capital Kept suits readers drawn to the darker side of the old capital. You walk to the square as part of the route, the app tells you its story as you arrive, and a puzzle waits on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.