The origins of the Château Saint-Louis, the residence of the Governor of New France

Abstract

Archaeological excavations from 2005 to 2007 on the site of the Château Saint-Louis uncovered evidence for the official residence of Canada's Governors General during the colonial era. The chateau underwent several changes in the course of its existence, and by the end of the French regime had become one of the colony's most prestigious buildings. The archaeological evidence shows that the layout of the chateau and its secondary buildings followed from an earlier spatial organization model applied by Champlain in 1626, apparently derived from an architectural tradition of north-west France.

Archaeological excavations from 2005 to 2007 on the site of the Château Saint-Louis uncovered evidence for the official residence of Canada's Governors General during the colonial era. The chateau underwent several changes in the course of its existence, and by the end of the French regime had become one of the colony's most prestigious buildings. The archaeological evidence shows that the layout of the chateau and its secondary buildings followed from an earlier spatial organization model applied by Champlain in 1626, apparently derived from an architectural tradition of north-west France.

Les fouilles archéologiques de 2005 à 2007 sur le site du Château Saint-Louis ont mis au jour des indices de la résidence officielle des gouverneurs généraux du Canada au cours de la période coloniale. Le château a subi plusieurs changements au cours de son existence et était devenu à la fin du Régime français l'un des plus prestigieux édifices de la colonie. Les indices archéologiques montrent que le plan du château et ses bâtiments secondaires ont suivi un modèle d'organisation spatiale antérieur appliqué par Champlain en 1626, vraisemblablement dérivé d'une tradition architecturale du nord-ouest de la France.

Archäologische Grabungen von 2005-07 auf dem Gelände des Schlosses von Saint Louis erbrachten Nachweise der offiziellen Residenz des kanadischen Gouverneurs während der Kolonialzeit zutage. Das Schloß erfuhr mehrere Umbauten im Laufe seiner Geschichte und war am Ende der französischen Herrschaft eines der repräsentativsten Gebäude in der Kolonie. Archäologische Spuren zeigen, daß der Grundriß des Schlosses und seiner Nebengebäude dem ursprünglichen Model Champlains von 1626 folgten und offensichtlich aus der architektonischen Tradition Nordwest-Frankreichs stammten.

Gli scavi archeologici condotti dal 2005 al 2007 nel sito del castello di Saint-Louis hanno portato alla luce i resti della residenza ufficiale dei governatori generali del Canada durante l'era coloniale. Il castello andò incontro a una serie di cambiamenti nel corso della sua esistenza e alla fine del regime francese era diventato uno degli edifici più prestigiosi della colonia. I dati archeologici mostrano che la struttura del castello e degli edifici secondari seguivano il precedente modello di organizzazione spaziale applicato da Champlain nel 1626, apparentemente derivante da una tradizione architettonica del nord-ovest della Francia.

Las excavaciones arqueológicas desarrolladas entre 2005 y 2007 en el yacimiento del Château Saint-Louis han descubierto la residencia oficial del Gobernador General de Canadá durante la era colonial. El castillo sufrió diversos cambios durante su existencia, habiéndose convertido ya al final del régimen francés en uno de los edificios más prestigiosos de la colonia. La evidencia arqueológica muestra que su planta y edificios de servicios derivan de un modelo de organización espacial anterior empleado por Champlain en 1626, probablemente derivado de modelos de tradición arquitectónica del noroeste de Francia.